Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-08-15
The mandatory Reconstruction
HffI.

datory reconstruction bill as reported
by the conference committee, and
which passed both houses of Congress
over the Presidents veto
Be ii enacted By the Senate and House
Of Representatives. of the United States
of Awerica in Congress assembled, That
it is hereby declared to have been the
true intent and meaning of the act of
I'd day Of March, 1867, entitled an act
to provide for the more efficient gov
ernment of the rebel States, and of the
acts supplementary thereto, passed on
the Odd day of March, 1867, that the
governments then existing in therebel
States Of Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi,
Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Texas
and Arkansas were not legal State
governments, and that thereafter said
governments, if continued, were con-
tinued subject in all respects to the
military commanders of the respective
districts, and the paramount authority
of Congress.
SEC. 2. And be II further enacted,
That the commander of any district
named in said act shall have power,
subject to the disapproval of the gen.
eral of the army of the United States,
and TO have effect until disapproved,
whenever in the opinion of such CON-
mander the proper administration of
said act shall require it, to suspend or
! ronnoxya from opioa -. f,.o., H. 49,.
formanoe of official duties and the
exercise of official powers, any officer
or person holding or exercising, or
protesting to hold or exercise, any
civil or military Office or duty in such
district under any power, election,
appointment, or authority derived
from, or granted by, or claimed under,
any so-called State or the government
thereof, or any municipal or other
division thereof, and upon such sus-
pension or removal such commander,
subject TO the disapproval of the gen.
eral as aforesaid, shall have power to
provide from time to time for the
performance of said duties of such
officer OF person so suspended or re-
moved, by the detail Of some compe-
tent officer or soldier of the army, or
by the appointment Of some other
person to perform the same, and to
fill vacancies occasioned by death,
resignation or otherwise. I
SEC. 3. And be II further enacted,
That the general of the armies Of the
United States shall be invested with
all the powers of suspension, removal,
appointment, and detail granted in
the preceding section TO district com
manders.
SEC. 4. and be Il further enacted,
That the acts of the officers of the
army already done in removing in
said districts persons exercising the
functions of civil officers and appoint.
ing others in their stead are hereby
confirmed. Provided, that any person
heretofore or hereafter appointed by
any district commander to exercise
the functions OF any civil office may
be removed either by the military
officer in command of the district or
by the general of the army.
SIC. 5. And be Il further enacted,
That the boards Of registration provi-
ded for in the act entitled can act
supplementary 10 an act entitled 'An
act TO provide for the more efficient
government of the rebel States pass
ed March 2, 1867, and to facilitate
restoration" passed March %, 1867,
shall have power, and it shall be their
duty before allowing the registration
of any person, to ascertain, upon such
facts or information as they can OBJ
tain, whether such person is entitled
to be registered under said act, and
the oath required by said act shall not
be conclusive on such question, and
no person shall be registered unless
such board shall decide that he is
entitled thereto, and such board shall
also have power TO examine under
oath (to be administered by any mem
Der of such board) any one touching
the qualification of any person claim
ing registration but in every case
of refusal by the board to register an
applicant, and in every case of striking
his name from the list as hereinafter
provided, the board shall make q note
or memorandum, which shall be re-
turned with the registration list to
the commanding general of tho dis.
trict, setting forth the ground of such
refusal or such striking from the list.
Provided, that no person shall be dis
qualified as member of any board of
registration by reason of race or color.
SEC. 6. And be Il further enacted,
That the true intent and meaning of
the oath prescribed in said supplement
tary act IS (among other things) that
no person who has been a member of
the Legislature of any State, or who
has held any executive or judicial
Office in any State, whether he has
taken an oath to support the Consti-
tuition Of the United States or not,
and whether he was holding such |
Office at the commencement of the |
rebellion or had held it before, and
who has afterwards engaged in nsur-
rection OF rebellion against the United
States, or given ai1 "a oSiT..cc-:. 10 the !
enemies thereof, is entitled TO be reg
istered or to vote; and the words |
Executive or judicial officer in any
State" in said oath mentioned, shall
be construed TO include all civil offices
created by law for the administration |
ofjustice, or for the keeping of public
peace.
SEC. Z. And be IL further enacted,
That the time for completing the