The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-03-27
The Supplemental Bill.

The Supplemental Bill, after an inter
change of amend nents between the House
and the Senate, has 1T length passed both
branches of Congress, and the machinery
by which the Military Reconstruction
Act is to be put in operation is now, there
fore, complete.
/. The Military Commander Of the Dis
trict must, before September, 1867, cause
to be made registration Of qualified
voters.
2. He must provide the means aha
mode of registration, which may be
carriers but must not be later than Sep
tcmber, an election of Delegates for the
Convention must be ordercd-the time
arid place of the meeting of the said Con-
vention being appJltted by the said Mill
tary authority.
When the qualified voters vote for dele
gates to the Convention, they will also
vote whether they wish Convention at
all. IF upon. ascertaining the result of
that vote, it is found that the people Of
the State hare voted againsta Conven-
'tion, the selection of delegates is void, if,
on the contrary, the majority of votes
cast are for Convention, the selection is
valid, and the delegates so chosen will as
semble at the time and place which either
has been or will be ordered by the Com
mandng General.
The ratio of representation in the Con-
vention will be-with the exception of
Virginia-the safiic as in the House of
Representatives in the State.
The only variation between the rgqlirs:
ments of this Act ind the Reconstruction
Act is this: By tho Reconstruction Act
no member of the State Legislature who
had taken an oath to support the Consti
tuition Of the United States, and after
wards 'sgiven aid or comfort to the Con
federacy, can hold Office or vote. Under
this provision all the members of the Leg
islature, who had been members only since
secession, would have been tapable both
of holding office and voting, bccause after
the establishment Of the Confederacy
members of the. Legislature no longer
took an oath to support the Constitution
of the United States. But it appears that
in Virginia, for many years past, MEM
bcrs of the Legislature have not taken
the oath to support the Constitution of
the. United States, but only the Gonstitu-
stitution OF the State, and that large
class was therefore exempt from the e&-
clusion of this clause. This having been
brought to the notice of Congress- an
amendment was carried; by which the
exclusion was extended to all fiiembers of
the State Legislature who have "given
aid and comfort" &c, whether they had
taken the oath. of support to the United
States Constitution or not. In this State,
therefore, it follows thai those who were
members of the State Legislature since
the war, but who had never been before,
and who, we're, therefore, not included
under this disabling clause, are now, by
the amendment excluded both from vo-
ting and holding office: Practically, the
difference is small; but within that limit
it Is afi extension Of the disfraDthisenicnt.
The Most important practical point of
this Act is, of course, the registration
clauses
/. Who is entitled to register.
2. The manner Of registration.
1t is of the utmost consequence that we
should havo clear idea of what class or
classes have the rightto register as voters
under this Act.
Every male citizen has that right who
can and does take an oath that he meets
three requirements.
l. That he is citizen of the State: who
has resided fof-months (l2 months we
believe is tho tme) in the State, is ut the
time residing in the District or Parish
whore he registers, and has not been dis
franchised for any participation in any
rebellion or civil war sgainst the United
States, nor f6r felony against the State or
the United States, and that he is twenty
one years of age.
Upon this it is only necessary to re-
mark that at present there is no legal dis
franchisemcnt for participation in any re-
bellion, &c., such as is effected by the
third clause of the Constitutional Amend
ment, and the extension of the exclusion
is members of the Legislature.
g. That he has never taken an oath as
member of Congress Of the United
States, or as an officer thereof, or as a
member of any State Legislature, or ex-
ecutive OF Judicial officer of any State, to
support the Constitution of the United
States. and afterwards engaged in insur-
rection or rebellion against the United
Statos, or given aid and comfort to the
enemies thereof
The citizen to be disabled under this
clause, must have done two things. He
must have taken an oath to support the
Constitution of the United States in a
certain official character, and afterwards
he must have given aid anu comfort, &c,
Sc: If he has taken the oath and after
wards has not given aid and comforts &c;
or, if he has given MD and comfort and
has not taken the oath, then he is not ex-
cluded from the right of registration.
8. That he will faithfully support the
Constitution and obey the laws of the
United States, and will to the best OF his