Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1867-02-14


The psssn 81 lsle Radicals far Destroying
Civil Government IN tile Southern
States.
The following is a copy Of the bill from
the Reconstruction Committee (so-cilled)
now under discussion in the House Of Rep
resentatiyes:
Whe.eas the pretended State governments of
the late socalled Confederate States Of Virginia,
North Carolina, South Carolina. Georgia, MISS
ipri, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, and
Arkansas were set up without the authority of
Congress and without the sanction OF the people
and whereas the said pretended governments afford
no adequate protection for life or property, but
countenance and encourage lawlessness and crime;
and whereas it is necessary that peace and good
order should be enforced in> said ao-c&lled States
u.til lo~alatnd republican State governments can
be legally established. ll@rv.olc,
Be 4 eaaeie.t By the Senate and House of Repre-
se,tat.oes OF the United Sa'e - Ansgica- IN Con-
gress assembled. That the socalled States shall be
divided into military districts and made subject to
the military authority ofthe United states as here
matter prescribed ard ios that purpose Virginia
shall constitute the first districts North Carolina
and South Carolina the second district: Georgia,
Alabama and Florida the third distict Mississippi
and Arkansas the fourth district; and Louisiana
and Texas the fifth district.
Sec 2. dad be it further enacted. Thatitshall be
the duty OF the general of the army to assign to
the command of each of the said disricts@n officer
Of the regular army not below therank OF brigadier
general, and to detail sufficient military force to
enable such officer to perform his duties and en-
force his authoty within the district to which he
is asst gned. tl
SEC g. And be 1t further enacted, That it shall be
the duty OF each officer assigned aforesaid to
protect all person in their right OF person and pro-
perty to suppress insurlcction, disorder, and vio
lence and to punish, or cause to be punished, all
dsturbers ofthe public peace and criminals and to
this end he may allow civil tribunals to take iurs
dcton of and to try the offenders. or when in his
Judgment 1t may be necessary for the trial OF often
ders, he shall have power to organize military COM
missions tribunals for that purpose anything in
the constitution and laws of the socalled States to
the contrary Notwithstanding and all Legislative or
judicial proceedings or processes to prevent or
control the proceedings Of said military tribunals
and all Interference by said pretended State gov
ernments with the exercise OF military authority
under this act shall be void and OF no effect.
SEES. And be IT. further enacted That courts
and judicial officers Of the United States shall not
Issue wris Of haba0s corpus in behalf OF persons IN
military custody unless some commissioned officer
on duty in the district wherein the person is de-
tanned shall endorse upon said petition statement
certifying, upon honor, that he has knowledge or
information as to the and circumstances of
the aledCed detention, ard Il at lie ECl, ewes
the same to be wrongful and further, that he
believes that the endorsed petition is preferred in
goodfath and in punishment Of crime. All per-
sons put under arrest by virure of this act shall
be tried without unnecessary delay. and no cruel
or unusual punishment shall be inflicted.
SEC. 5. And be at faFfhe, enacted. That no SEN
tence ofany military commission tribunal here
by authorized affecting the life liberty OF any
the superior officer in command. Of the district !;
and the laws and regulations for the government Of
the army shall not be affected by this act except
in so far as thoy conflict with its provisions.