The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-12-03
RECONSTRUCTION.
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE MORE EFFI-
GENT GOVERNMENT OF THE REBEL STATES.

| AN Att To PROVIDE FOR THE MORE EFF
cIENT GOVERNMENT OF THEREBEL STATES
WHEREAS, nolegal State governments or ade
quate protection for life or properly now exists
in the rebel States of Virginia, North-C Carolina
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama Louisiana,
Florida, Texas Mississippi and Arkansas, and
whereas, it is necessary that peace ana good ordei
should be cntorcedi in said States until loyal and
republican State governments can be legally es-
tabshcd; therefore,
Be IL cnacted by tie Senate and House OF RePre-
sentati,es Of tie United States IF Anaerica Il" Cor,
gress assembled That said rebel States shall
be divided into military districts, and made sub
ject to the military authority ofthe United States,
as hereinafter prescribed, and for that purpose
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. =. -4ndbe it FURTHER endcted, That it shall
be the duty of the President to assign to the COM
mand of each Of said districts all officer OF the
army not below the rank OF brgadler general,
and to detail sufficient military force to enable
such officer to perform his duties and enforce
his authority within the district to which he is
assigned.
SEC 5. And be it further enacted, That it
shall be the duty of each officer assigned as afore
said to protect all persons in their rights OF per-
son and property, to suppress lnsurrectlon, dIs-
order, and violence, and TO punish or cause TO be
punished all disturbers of the public peace and
criminals and to this end he may allow local
civil tribunals to take jurisdiction of and try
Offenders or when in his Judgment it may be
necessary for the trial of offenders, he shall have
power to organize military commissions or tri-
bunals for that purpose; and all interference
under color of State authority with the eXer-
else of military authority under this act shall be
null and void.
SEC 4 Aed be it farther enacted, That all
persons put under military arrest by virtue OF
this act shall be tried without unnecessary delay
and no cruel or unusual punishment shall be in
ficted; and no sentence of any military COM
mission tribunal hereby authorized, affecting
the life or liberty of any person, shall be execu,
ted until it is approved by the 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 50 far as they may conflict
with its provisions Propioed, That sentence
of death under the provisions of this act shall be
carried into effect without the approval OF the
President
SEC s. Ind be it further enacted, That when
the people of any ofthe aforesaid rebel States
shall have formed a constitution of government
i'll conformity with the Constitution of the
convention of delegates elected by the male
citizens of said State twenty-one years old and
upward, of whatever race, color, or previous
condition. who have been resident in said State
for one year previous to the day of such election
except such as may be disfranchised for partici-
patton in the rebellion or for felony at common
law; and when such constitution shall provide
that the elective franchise shall be enjoyed by all
such persons as have the qualifications herein
stated for election Of delegates and when such
constitution shall be ratified 10y majority of the
persons voting on the question OF fatl1lcatlOn WHO
are qualified as electors for delegates, and when
such constitution shall have been submitted to
Congress for examination and approval, and
Congress shall have approved the same; and
when said State by Il vote OfitS Legislature elect
ed under said constitution shall have adopted the
amendment TO the Constitution of the United
States proposed by the Thirty Ninth Congress-
and hnuwn rs article IA, and when said article
shall have become part of the Constitution of
the United States, said State shall be declared en-
titled to representation in Congress. and Senators
and ReprGS cntatiycs shall be admitted theretrOm
on their taking the oath prescribed by law, and |
then and thereafter the proceeding sections of |
Il is act shall be imperative in said State POUi-
ded, That no person excluded from the privilege |
of holding Office by said proposed amendment to |
the Constitution OF the United States shall be |
eligible to election member of the convention !
to frame constitution for any of said rebel |
States, nor shall any such person vote for men,
bers of said convention.
SEC. g. And Gs IL further endrf.d That until |
the people of said rebel States shall be- by law ad-
mitted to representation in the Congress of the
United States, any civil governments which may
exist therein shall be deemed provisional only,
and in all respects subject 10 tile paramount au-
thority of the United States ut any time to abol-
ish modify, control OF supersede the same :; and
in all elections to any Office under such provis-
ional governments all kersons shall be entitled to
vote, and none other, who entitled to vote
under the provisions of the fifth section of this
act and no person shall be eligible to any office
under any such provisional governments who
would be disqualified from holding Office under
the provisions of the third article of said cOnst-
tutiOnal amendment.