Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-07-16
tofore done by any such officer in accordance

| d.
the boards of registration of the several military
districts established by the acts to which this is
additional shall admit to registration only such
persons as they deem entitled to be registered
by the acts aforesaid. They shall not regard the
taking the oath prescribed in the act of March
%, 1867. conclusive evidence of the right of the
person taking it to be registered, but prinaa
facie only, and may receive such evidence under
oath relating thereto as they may deem proper,
either from the person applying to be register
ed or others, and either of the members of said
boards is hereby authorized to administer oaths
or affirmations and examine witnesses touching
the right of any person to be registered. Said
boards of registration may strike from the list
of voters the name of any one already registered
who, in their judgment, Improperly took the
oath prescribed in the acts to which this is ad
ditional, or was not entitled by said acts to be
registered, and shall not be bound or governed
in their action by any opinion OF any officer OF
the United States Government. Record evil
dence shall not be required by said boards to
prove participation in the rebellion, but parole
evidence of the fact of such participation shall
be deemod by said boards sufficient to effect the
disfranchisement provided for by the acts to
which this is additional.
SECTION 4. And be 1t further enacted That
no civil court of the United States, or OF any
State, shall have jurisdiction Of any action or
proceeding, civil or criminal, against any such
district commander, or any officer or person
acting by his authority, for or on account of
any act done by him In his official capacity un-
der this act, or under the acts to which it is
supplementary wit: the act named in the
first section OF this act, and the act of March
twenty-three, eighteen hundred and sixty seven,
supplementary thereto.
SECTION 5. and be 1T further enacted, That
no district commander shall be relieved from
the command assigned to him under the afore-
said acts unless the Senate shall have first
advised and consented to his removal or unless
by sentence of court martial he shall be cashier
ed Or dismissed from the army; or unless he
shall consent to be so relieved.
| SECTION 6. The time for the completion of
the registration OF persons properly qualified to
vote may be extended by order of any of the
said district commanders to any day prior to the
lst day Of October, 1867.
Mr.. Stevens accepted the following as an ad-
ditional section:
Any person who shall attempt to prevent the
execution Of this act shall be guilty of INSIDE
meanor, and on conviction shall be liable to a
fine of $4,000 or imprisonment for one year.
The right of any person to register as legal
voter shall in no respect be changed or affected
by the Presidents pardon for participation in
rebellion
Tuesday, July 9.-SENATE. Judiciary
Committee reconstruction bill was taken up,
and the day consumed arguing the point whether
commanders should be allowed to appoint civil
lians to vacant Safe Offices.
Adjourned without definite action.
| HoUsE.-The consideration of the reconstruc-
ton bill was resumed. The sixth section was
modified by striking out the words ''or unless
he shall consent to be relieved" and inserting
instead cor in arrest punishable by dismissal
from the army or disqualified by sickness from
the performance Of his duties.
! The bill was then passed: ayes 1l9; nays, 81
The nays being Messrs Adams, Archer,
Barnes, Eldridge, Getz, Glossbrenner, Holman,
Hotchkiss, Marshall, Mccullough, Morgan, Nor
rissey, Munger, Niblock, Nicholson, Noel,
Phillips, Randall, Robinson, Ross, Sitgreaves,
Steuart, Stout, Taber, Van Anken, Tromp and
Wood
Wednesday, July 1O,-SENATE.-The con-
sideration Of the Judiciary Committee's recon-
struetion bill was resumed An amendment,
giving the commanders the power to fill vacan-
cies by appointing to State Offices citizens or
detached soldiers, was adopted-ayes 20, nays
15
The following was added to section sixth,
whether holding such office at the time of the
rebellion or before.
After eulogies on the memory of Mr.. Den
nison, the Senate adjourned.
| Il.
in the election cases of the Kentucky members
was extended to December
A committee of five was appointed to inquire
into the treatment of Union prisoners, with
power to send for persons and papers.
A bill was introduced extending the pro-
visions of the homestead act to Alabama, Ar
kansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida.
Referred to the Reconstruction Committee.
The Committee on Foreign Relations was
instructed to inquire. whether any American
citizen had been convicted in Great Britain for
words spoken in America.
Mr.. Wilson stated that the Judiciary Com
mittee had requested him to state that they
were not ready to report on impeachment
MIR. Boutwell, offered concurrent resolution
to adjourn in October next, elicitlng warm
debate, which was interrupted by the announce
ment Of Mr.. Dennison death.
After the usual eulogies, the House adjourn
ed.
Thursday July l1.-SENATE.- Howard
Withdrew his amendment to the reconstruction
bill, which specified the certain classes entitled
to register with the remark that as there was
large share of judicial power left in the hands
of the district commanders it would perhaps be
as well to leave them to determine the matter.
/ The 4th section was amended by adding that
any person appointed by the district command
er may be removed by him.
Mr. Drake introduced an amendment demand
ing some additional guarantees pertaining to the
admission of representatives from the States.
but it was ruled out of order Mr.. Drake APP
pealed from the Chair to the Senate, which
sustained the Chair-24 to l3.
/ Mr.. Buckaew offered his amendment making
the vote for Congressman cumulative, giving
each elector as many votes as there were Con-
gressional districts in the State, and allowing
him to cast all the votes for one candidate or
divide them at pleasure. Ruled out oforder-
% to 7,
The Senate continues in session, and will not
| probably adjourn until vote is obtained
At eight clock the Senate passed the bill
and adjourned.
HCUsE.-After unimportant business, the
House resumed the consideration OF the con-
current resolution to adjourn in October. Elab-
crate arguments on impeachment proposed
ensued, and finally Stevens moved the previous
question on the resolution that the Judiciary
Committee be ordered to report particularly to
the House this session The demand for the
previous question was not sustained.
Mr. Wilson moved that the committee be
ordered to report at the next session, and that
the committee be allowed to print | 900 copies
of this report The demand for the previous
question by Mr. Wilson was sustained and the
resolution passed.
Mr.. Stevens then said he abandoned the mat
ter, and moved that his resolution lie on the
table.
| The House adjourned to meet at o'clock