Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-07-11
The supplement AIRY Bill.

The Supplementary Reconstruction Bill,
agreed upon by Thaddeus Stevens House
Committee, was passed by the House yester-
day, by vote of ll9 to 81. 1t reads as
follows, as passed -
BE ii enacted, dc. That it is hereby
declared TO have been the true intent and
meaning of the act of the second day of
March, 1867, entitled "An Act to provide for
the more efficient Government of the Rebel
States" and of the act supplementary there
to, passed on the 23d of March, in the year
1867, that the Government then existing in
the Rebel States, Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi Lousi-
ana, Florida, Texas, and Arkansas, were
illegal and void, and that thereafter said Gov
ernments, if continued, were to be continued
subject in all respects to the Military Com
manders of the respective Districts and to
the authority of Congress.
SEC. 2. And DC IL Juyther enacted. That
the said acts to which this is supplement,
shall be construed to authorize the officer as
signed to the command of any Military Dis
trict, under said acts, whenever he shall
deem II necessary to the due performance of
his duties under said acts, to remove or sus-
pend from Office any municipal or State of
ficer, or person exercising authority under
or by virtue of any so-called State Govern
ments existing In his District; and tho said
officer SO assigned to command as aforesaid,
is hereby empowered to appoint another
person in the stead of the officer or person
removed, If he shall deem 1t proper so TO do;
and when he may deem ii necessary as afore-
said to prohibit, suspend, or set aside any
act or proceeding OF any such State or mu-
nicipal government, or any act or thing done
under or by virtue Of its authority; and acts
heretofore done by such officer in accordance
herewith shall be deemed valid.
SEC. 3. And be ID further enacted. That
the Boards Of Registration OF the several
Military Districts established by the acts to
which this is supplementary shall admit to
registration only such persons as they deem
entitled to be registered by the acts afore-
said. They shall not regard the taking of
the oath prescribed in the Act of March 23
1867, conclusive evidence of the right of per-
sons taking it to be registered, but prima
.tacie only, and may receive such evidence
under oath relating thereto as they may deem
proper, either from the person applying to
be registered or others and either of the
members of said Board is hereby authorized
TO administer oaths or afiirmations, and ex-
anime witness touching the right of any per-
son to be registeted. Such Boards of Regis
tration may strike from the list of voters the
naihc or any onc already resiotospsl, who, in
their judgment, improperly took the oath
prescribed in the acts to which this is sup
Elementary, or was not entitled by said acts
to be registered. Record evidence shall not
be required by Boards to prove participa-
tion IN the Rebellion, but parole evidence
shall be sufficient to establish the fact of
such participation, and said Boards OF Re-
gistration shall not be bound or governed in
their action by any opinion of any officer of
the United States Government.
SEC. 4. And DC ii further enacted, That
no civil Court of the United States shall have
Jurisdiction of any action or proceeding, civ
il or criminal, against any such District
Commanders, or any officer or person acting
by his authority, for or on account of the
duties imposed upon him by this act or the
acts to which it is supplementary.
SEC. 8. and be it further enacted, That
no District Commander shall be relieved
from the command assigned to him under
the aforesaid acts, unless the Senate shall
have first advised and consented thereto, or
unless by sentence of court-martial he shall
be cashiered or dismissed from the army, or
in arrest for an ofIense punishable by dismiss
sal from the army, or disqualified by sick
ness from the performance of his duty.
SEQ. 6. And be ii further enacted, That
the time for the completion of the registra-
tion Of persons properly qualified to vote,
may be extended by orders of the said sew
eral District Commanders TO any day prior
to the first Of October, A. d. 1867.
Two amendments, offered by Messrs. Will
son and Benjamin, were also added. The
first provides that any person who shall at
tempt to prevent the act shall be deemed
guilty Of wisdemeanor, and on conviction
thereof shall be subject to the penalty of
$4,000 fine or Imprisonment for one year, or
both, at the discretion of the Court, and the
other that the right of any person to be re-
gistered as legal voter shall in no respect
be changed or affected by virtue of any par
don granted to such person by the President
Of the United States for participation in the
Rebellion.