The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-02-23
REORGANIZATION,

The following is the text ot the r-cUuSir1c
tion bill which passed the Senate last sun
day morning, which on Monday, rejected n
the House, but was afterwards slightly
amended and adopted by both Houses
WHEREAS. no legal State GDyernB ent or
adequate protection for life or property now
exists in the rebel sta.e OF Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina. Georgia, Alabama,
Louisiana. Florida, Texas and Arkansas;
and, whereas, It IS necessary that peace and
good order should be enforced in said States
until loyal and republican State Governments
can be legally established, therefore 5e it
enacted:
SEC. /. That said rebel states shall be di~
yiied into military districts, and made sub
ject to the military authority OF sas United
purpose. Virginia Shall constitute the hh-rrssi
district; North Caro.inl and South Carolina
the second district; Georgia, Alabama and
Florida the third district; Mississippi and
Arkansas the fourth district: Louisiana and
Texas the fifth district.
SEC. ,. That it shall be thu du,y of the
President; to assign % the command Of each
Of said districts an officer of the army not
below ,hs rank Of Bgigadisr GeueTl and to
detail a sufficient military force h enable
such officer to pegiSgm his duties aAd enforce
his a5thori,y within the district 10 which he
is assigned.
SIC B. That it shall be the dut7 Of each
officer assigned as Aforesaid to protect all
persons IN their rights Of persons aud proper
ty, to suppress instruction. disorder and
violence, and TO punish or cause to b. pun
ished all disturbers Of public peace and GRIM
inals and TO take Jurisdiction OF and try
offenders. or where. in his judgment. it may
be necessary Tor trial of offenders. he shall
have power t5 organize military commits
sions or tribunals for that PURPOSE and all
interference ubder cover OF State authority
under this act shall be null and void.
SEC. l. That all persons put under military
arrest By virtue of this act, shall be tried
without unncce ssary delay, and 10 cruel or
unusual pans hment shall be inflicted, and
no sentence Of aav military commission or
tribunal hersby authorized affecting life or
liberty Of any person shall be executed until
it is approved by the officer in command Of
the district, and the laws ard regulations for
the government of the army shall not be
affected by this act, except in so far they
may conflict with its provisions.
SEC ) That when the people of any one /
of said rebel states shall have formed Cons .
stitution in conformity with the Constitution
OF the lnllSu clSLSs III All Ic> JSCks. iAuCl }
by Convention of delegates elected By the .
persons who may vote upon the ratification |
or rejection thereof. as hereinafter provided, /
and when said Constitution, so framed, shall /
have been ratified by a majority of male ei.i-
zens of said state, II years old aud upward, /
ofwhatever race, color or previous coalition |
of servitude, who may have been a resident /
in said state FIR one year previous to the day /
OF voting on the question of ratItvInp such /
Constitution. except such As NAV be disfran> /
chised for pa tiei pating in the rebe lion, or
for felony at CO mmou law, and when such I
Constitution shall provide that the elective /
FRANCHISE shall be enjoyed by all such persons |
that have the qualifications herein stated, /
aud shall have been submitted to Congress 4
for examination and approval and Congress !
shall have approved the same, and when /
said state BY vote Of its Legislature, elected |
und er said Constitution shall have adopted |
the amendme mt to the constitution of /
the United States which was proposed by .
the Thirty-ninth Congress, and known as
article H. and when said article shall have
become part Of the Constitution of the
United States, said ate shall be declared |
entitled to representation in Congress, and
Senators and Representatives shall be admit
ted upon takin the oath prescribed by law.
and then and thereafter the preceding Sec
tons of this bill shall be imperative in said
state.