Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-02-07
Government of the Rebel States

The Hon. Thaddeus Stevens, chairman on
the part OF the House OF the Joint Com mittee
on Reconstruction, presented the following
Dill yesterday as report from that commit.
lee. IL Is understood as having been agreed
upon by majority OF the members Of the com
mittee:
the late so-c called Confederate States OF Vir
gina, North Carolina, South Carolina Geor
gIa, Mississippi, Alabama, Lou isiana, Florida
Texas, and Arkansas. were set up without the
authority OF Congress, and without the sane
non OF the people; and whereas the said pre-
tended governments afford no adeq nate pro-
tectloE for life or property, but couutenance
and encourage lawlessness and crime; and
whereas II is necessary that peace and good
order should be enforced in said SC. called
States until loyal and republican State gov
ernments can be legally established: There
fore,
Be it enacted by the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentdtires Of the United States Of America in Con-
gresS assembled, That the so called States shall
be divided into military districts. and made
subject 10 the military authority Of the United
States, as hereinafter prescribed: and, for that
purpose, Niralnia shall constitute the LIST dis
ulct; North Carolina and South Carolina the
I'd district; Georgia, Alabama and Florida the
Sd district; Mississippi and Arkansas the Attn
district, and louisiana and Texas the 5th dis
trict.
Sec. 2. And be IL further enacted, That it shall
be the duty of the general OF the army To as.
sign 10 the command of each of the said dis-
tricts an oincer OF the regular army, not below
sufficient military force to enable such otfi. /.
Ger TO perform his duties and enforce his au
thority within the district TO which he is as
signed.
Sec g. and be it. further enacted, That IL shall
be the duty OF each officer assigned as afore
said to protect all persons in their rights of
person and property, TO suppress insurrection
disorder, and violence, and TO punish, or cause
to be punished, all disturbers of the publIc
peace and criminals and to this end be NAV
allow civil tribunals to take jurisdiction OF
an 70 yIh in
it may be necessary for the trial Of Offenders
he shall have power TO organize military com
missions or tribunals for that purpose any.
thing in the constitutions and laws of the so
called States to the contrary notwithstandin0 :.
and all legislative or judicial proceedings or
processes to prevent or contest the proceed
ings OF said military tribunals, and all in ter
ference by said pretended State governments
with the exercise OF military authority under
this act, shall be void and of no effect.
Sec 4. And 6e H further enacted, That courts
and Judicial officers of the United States shall
not issue writs OF habeds corpus In behalf OF
persons in military custody unless some COM
missioned ofhcer oa duty in the district where
in the person Is detained snail endorse upon
said petition a statement certifying upon hon
or that he has knowledge or i'm formation as 10
the cause and circumstances OF the alleged de-
tention, and that he believes the same To be
wrongful: and further, that he believes thai
the endorsed petition is preferred in good faith
and In furtherance Of justice, and not to hin
der or delay the punishment OF crime. All
persons put under military arrest by virtue of
this act shall be tried without unnecessary de-
lay, ard no cruel or unusual punishment shall
be inflicted. -. r.. I.0 =
Sec. S. And be il further enacted, That no san.
tence Of any military commission or tribu nal
hereby authorized affecting the life or liberty
Of any person shall be executed until it is an.
proved by the superior officer in command OF
the district, and the laws and reg alatIons for
the government Of the army shall not be ar.
fected by this act, except in so far as they con.
hict with its provisions. sss.. "a =.
Z A BANK RoBBRR CAuGHT.-At the Phila.
delphia NatioHal Bank on Tuesday, the paw
ing teller detected the rustling Of bank notes,
and saw q one dollar bill disappear through
the wire screen around bis desk. Before IL
was q man who was taken TO the oashier,s
room The teller found that package Of one
md hslt ut~i ivi n ar