Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-07-23
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The Reconstruction Bill.

The Reconstruction Bill.
The following is a copy of the Supplementary
Reconstruction bill as it passed both Houses on.
Saturday, the 18th inst
Be it enacted, &C., That it is hereby declared
| to have been the true intent and meaning of the
| act of the second day of March, one thousand
| eight hundred and sixty seven, entitled, "An
act to provide for the more efficient government
of the rebel States" and the act supplementary
thereto, passed on the twenty third day of
| March, one thousand eight hundred and sixty
! seven, that the governments then existing In
the rebel States of Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama,
Louisiana Florida, Texas and Arkansas were
not legal State governments, and that thereaf-
ter said governments, if continued, were con-
tinued subject in all respects to the military
commanders of the respective districts, and to
| the paramount authority of Congress.
2. That the commander of any district named
in said act shall have power, subject to the dis
approval of the General Of the army of the
| United States, and to have effect until disap-
| proved, whenever in the opinion Of such COM
| mander the proper administration of said act
| shall REQUIRE it, to suspend or remove from Of
fee, or from the performance of official duties
and the exercise of official powers, any officer or
person holding or exercising, Or protesting to
hold or exercise any civil or military Office or
dutv in such district under any power, election,
appointment, or authority derived from, or
granted by, or claimed under, any so-called
| State or the government thereof, or any NUM-
cipal or other division thereof; and upon such
suspension or removal such commander, sub
ject to the disapproval of the General aforesaid,
| shall have power to provide from time to time
| for the performance of such duties of such Off
Ger OR person so suspended or removed, by the
detail of some competent officer or soldier of
| the army, or by the appointment OF some other
| person to perform the same, and to fill vaean-
cies occasioned by death, resignation or other
| wise.
8. That the General of thearmies of the Uni
ted States shall be invested with all the powers
| of suspension, removal, appointment and detail
granted in the preceding section to district COM
/ n1anders. --~s------~..---
already done in removing in said districts per-
sons exercising the functions of civil officers and
appointing others in their stead are hereby con-
| firmed provided, that any person heretofore
| or hereafter appointed by any district comman-
der to exercise the functions Of any civil Office
may be removed either by the military officer
in command of the district or by the General of
| the army And it shall be the duty of such
commander to remove from Office as aforesaid
all persons who are disloyal to the Government
of the United States, or who use their official
influence in any manner to hinder, delay, pre-
vent, Or obstruct the due and proper administra-
ton of this act and the acts to which it is sup
Elementary.
/ s. That the boards of registration provided
for in the act entitled, San act supplementary
to an act entitled An act to provide for the
more efficient government of the rebel States,
passed March second, eighteen hundred and
sixty SEVEN and to facilitate restoration" pass
ed March twenty third, eighteen hundred and
sixty-seven, shall have the power, and it shall
be their duty, before allowing the registration
of any person, to ascertain upon such facts or
information as they can obtain, whether such
person is entitled to be registered under said
act, and the oath required by said act shall not
be conclusive on such question, and no person
shall be registered unless such board shall de-
eide that he is entitled thereto and such board
! shall also have power to examine, under oath,
Ito be administered by any member of such
board) any one touching the qualification ofany
person claiming registration but In every case
of refusal by the board to register the applicant
and in every case of striking his name from the
list as hereinafter provided, the board shall
make note or memorandum, which shall be re-
turned with the registration list to the COM
handing general of the district, setting forth
the ground of such refusal or such striking from
the lists: Provided, That no person shall be
disqualified as a member Of any board Of regis
tration by reason of race color.
6. That the true intent and meaning Of the
oath prescribed in said supplementary act is
(among other things that no person who has
been a member of the Legislature of any State,
or who has held any executive or judicial office
in any State, whether he has taken an oath to
support the Constitution OF the United States
or not, and who has afterwards engaged in in
surrection or rebellion against the United States
or given aid Or comfort to the enemies thereof,
is entitled to be registered or to vote, and the
words executive or judicial officers in any
State, in said oath mentioned, shall be con-
strued to include all civil offices created by law
for the administration of any general law OF a
State, or for the administration of justice.
7. That the time for completing the original
registration provided for in said act may, in the
discretion of the commander of any district, be
extended to the first day of October eighteen
hundred and sixty-seven; and the boards Of
registration shall have power and it shall be
their duty, commencing fourteen days prior to
any election under said act, and upon reason
able public notice of the time and place thereof,
to revise, for period of five days, the regstra-
ton lists, and upon being satisfied that any per-
son not entitled thereto has been registered, to
strike the name of such person from the list,
and such person shall not be allowed to VOTE
And such board shall also, during the same Pc
Rod, add to such registry the names of all per-
sons who at that time possess the qualifications
required by said act who have not been already
registered; and no person shall at any time be
entitled to be registered or to vote by reason of
any Executive pardon or amnesty for any act
or thing which, without such pardon or amnes-
ty would disqualify him from registering or
voting. -s.-r
s. That section four of said last-named act
shall be construed to authorize the command
ing General named therein, whenever he shall
deem it needful, to remove any member of a
board of registration and to appoint another in
his stead, and to fill any vacancy in such board
g. That all members of said boards of regis
tration, and all persons hereafter elected or ap-
pointed to Office in said military Districts under
any so-called State or municipal authority, or
by detail or appointment Of the district com
manders, shall be required to take and to SUBJ
scribe the oath of Office prescribed by law for
officers of the United States
10. That no district commander or member
of the board Of registration, or any of the Off
GERS or appointees acting under them, shall be
bound in his action by any opinion of any civil
officer Of the United States
IL. That all the provisions of this act, and
the acts to which this is supplementary, shall
| bo liberal 70 4ho hot ILL.,