The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-07-18

fA1Ch - ID LhhTCh l1AN IHE COM-
BINED CIRCULATION OF ALL THE
OTHER DAILY NEWSPAPERS OF THIS
CITY.
A Bill to Enable the Inhabitants of
the late Rebel States to Form State
Governments.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives Of the United States of
america in Congress assembled, That all
governments and pretended governm cnts
within that portion Of the territory which.
lately claimed to belong to the Confede-
rate States of America, and which the
United States of America have con-
qdered-to wit, the territory lately called
the, State of Virginia here follows the
names of all the southern States, dcsig-
mated as Virginia is, and the bill then pro-
ceeds as followsl are hereby declared
null and void and of no effect other than
that which they shall derive from the ac-
tion Of Congress. The municipal corpora
tions and Offices existing de .facto for local
purposes shall be continued until Congress
or those authorized by Congress shall de-
termine their existence.
SECTION 2. Ind belt further enacted, That
until the said territory shall be prepared
with proper constitutions and regularly
admitted into the Union as new States it
shall be governed as follows: Three COM
missioners (cvilians) shall be chosen by
the joint action Of the Senate and House
of Representatives for each Of the divi-
sions now called military districts, two Of
whom shall be nominated by the House
and one by the Senate, who shall be called
commissioners of reconstruction. They
shall discharge all the duties which by the
act Of March 2, 1867, and it's supplement
of March %, 1867, are now enioined upon
the military commanders, except so far as
ceed to correct and complete the registra-
ton already in progress with all convenient
speed. When the registration is compile
ted they shall take the same action with
regard to the formation Of the Constitu-
tion as is now prescribed to the military
commanders in the acts aforesaid, and
whenever any portion Of said territory shall
have been formed into proper State, and
its constitution submitted to Congress and
approved by it, it shall be admitted into the
Union and declared capable Of represen-
tation in the Congress Of the United States.
The military commanders and all military
authority are hereby relieved from any
duty within said territory except the pre-
servation 'of the peace, which they shall
enforce upon the demand Of the commits
sioners Of reconstruction, or any Of them.
The admission Of new States into the
Union and the reconstruction Of old ones
is the sole duty and work Of Congress, and
neither the President, nor any head Of de-
partment, nor the judiciary, nor the mill
tary, have any right to interfere in such
matters unless required by the Congress Of
the United States. The opinion or the
Attorney General upon any point con-
nected with the admission Of new States
or the reconstruction of destroyed ones
is unauthorized, and ought not to be OBJ
truded upon Government, lest there may
be q misunderstanding with regard to
who are entitled to exercise the elective
franchise. Both in the election of dele
gates to form a convention and in the con-
tirmation or rejection Of any constitution
they may form it is declared that all such
persons who voluntarily engaged in the
late rebellion shall be excluded from
registration, and such fact may be proved
by parole evidence; and for that pur
pose the Commissioners Of Reconstruction,
or either Of them, shall have power to call
witnesses, administer oathS, ask questions,
and conduct the examination in such man
her as may be necessary to ascertain the
truth. ANY false swearing under this law
shall be deemed felony, and punished as
such. The residence required in said acts
must be continuous Immediately pre-
ceding the election at which the vote is
offered. No person who during the time
Of the rebellion held any judicial or exc
cutive Office under the Government called
the Confederate States Of America, or
under either of said States, shall be regis
tered, nor military officers who during the
existence Of the Government of the Con-
federate States held Offices either in it's
army or in the army or militia Of either Of
said States and nothing in this act shall
be held to admit to registration any Of the
classes excluded by the act to which this
is supplement.
SEcT1oS 3. And be 1t further enacted
That the Commission of Reconstruction,
each within its own jurisdiction, shall have
full power to remove any municipal officer
or magistrate or State judge, and if it sees
proper, to fill the vacancy by new appoint
ment whenever it shall deem the public
good shall require it. From the acts and
doings of the respective boards and COM
missions there shall be no appeal except to
Congress.
SECTION 4. And be 1t further enacted,
That SO much of the act Of March 2, 1867,
and its supplement Of March %, 1867, as is
not altered by this acts shall remain in full
force and virtue.
Added to the bill, but without any words
of enactment, is paragraph in these
words:
"If the commissioners Of the State Of
Texas and the State Of Louisiana shall ad-
Judge that the interests of the country re-
Quire the division Of Texas into two States,
they shall proceed to run and mark the di-
vision line, and prepare them for admission
into the 1Tnion as herein prescribed,'' -