The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1867-02-21
The House Bill Providing Militia
nv Government for the South,

The House Bill Providing Militia
ry Government for the South
The following is a copy of Stew
ems bill as it passed the House on
Wednesday, and is now pending in
the Senate, providing military gov
ernment for the South:
4 BILL to provide for the more efficient
government of the insurrcctiOnary States.
WHEREAS, The pretended State
governments of the late so-called
Confederate States Of Virginia,
North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama,
Louisiana, Florida, Texas and Ar
kansas were set up without the
authority of Congress and without
sanction of the people and where
as said pretended governments af-
ford no adequate protection for life
or property, but countenance and
encourage lawlessness and crime I;
and whereas it is necessary that
peace and good order should be en-
forced in said so-called States un-
til loyal and republican State gov
ernments can be legally establish
cd; therefore,
Be At enacted By tie Senate and
House Of Representatives, OF tie Un-
ited States Of America IN Congress
assembled, That said so-called States
shall be divided into military dis
tricts and made subject to the
military authority Of the United
States as hereinafter prescribed,
and Tor that purpore Virginia shall
constitute the first district; North
Carolina and South Carolina the
second district; Georgia, Alabama
and Florida the third district ;
Mississippi and Arkansas the
fourth district; and Louisiana and
Texas the fifth district.
Sec. 2. And be 1t further enacted,
That it shall be the duty of the
general Of the army to assign to
| the command Of each Of said dis
tricts an officer of the regular army,
not below the rank Of brigadier
general, and to detail a sufficient
military force to enable such officer
to perform his duties and enforce
his authority within the district to
which he is assigned.
Sec. 3. AMI be At further enacted,
That it shall be the duty of each
officer assigned as aforesaid to pro-
tect all persons IN their rights ot
person and property, to suppress
insurrection, disorder and violence,
and to punish, or cause to be pun
| ished, all disturbers of the public
peace and criminals, and to this
end he may allow civil tribunals TO
take jurisdiction of and to try Of
tenders, or, when in his judgment
it may be necessary for the trial OF
offenders, he shall have power to
organize military commissions or
tribunals for that purpose, any
thing in the Constitution and laws
of the so-called States to the con-
trary Notwithstanding; and all leg
islative or judicial proceedings, Of
processes to prevent or control the
proceedings Of said military trlbu-
nails, and all interference by said
pretended State governments with
! the exercise of military authority
under this act, shall be void and Of
no effect.
Sec. 4. And be H further enacted
That courts and judicial officers O
the United States shall not issue
writs of haJeaS corpus in behalf o
persons in military custody, unles:
some commissioned officer on duty
in the district wherein the person
is detained shall indorse upon sale
petition a statement certifying, up
on honor, that he has knowledge
or information, as to the cause anC
circumstances of the alleged deten
ton, and that he believes the same
to be wrongful; and that he be
lieves that the indorsed peti ton il
preferred in good faith, and in fur
therance ofjustice, and not to hin
der or delay the punishment o
crime. All persons put under mil
itary arrest by virtue of this ac
shall be tried without unnecessary
delay, and no cruel or unusua
punishment shall be inflicted.
SEC. 5. and be 1t further enacted
That no sentence Of any militar,
commission or tribunal hereby au
thorized, affecting the life or liber
ty OF a2,y person, shall be executed
until it is approved by the office
in command of the district, and th'
laws and regulations for the gov
ernment of the army shall not b.