The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-08-15
REeoSsTRueTloA.
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE MORE Eff
GENT GOVERNMENT OF THE REBEL STATES.

An cp no pRovIDE FOR THE MORE EFF
| cIENT GOVERNMENT OF THE REBEL STATES.
WHEREAS, no legal State governments or ade-
ouate protection for life or property now exists
in the rebel States of Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia. Alabama, Louisiana,
! Florida Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas, and
whereas it is necessary that peace and good order
should be enforced in said States untl loyai ana
republican State governments can DC leSaly es>
tablishcd; therefore,
Be it enacted by the Senate and House OF Rep1e-
setatiues Of tie United States Of Anae'7ca IN Con-
oress assembled That said rebel States shall
be divided into military districts, and made SUD-
ject 10 military authority OF the United States
MS hereinafter prescribed and Tor that purpose
Carolina and South-Carolna the second district;
Georgia, Alabama and Florida the third district
Mississippi and Arkansas the fourth district, and
Louisiana and Texas the fifth district
SEC. 2. A7td be 1t further enacted, mat 1t snail
be the duty of the President to assign to the com
mand of each of said districts an o1hcer OF inc
army not below the rank OF brgadler genera,
and to detail sufficient military force to enable
such officer to perform his duties and enforce
his authority within the district which he Is
SEC. 3. 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 insurrectlon, DIS
order, and violence, and to punish or cause to be
punished all disturbcrs of the public, peace and
criminals and to this end he may allow local
civil tribunals to take JURISDICTION o! ana ny
necessary for the trial OF offenders, he shall have
power to organize military commissions or TIL
for ot anf with the
else of military authority under this act snail De
null and void.
SEC. 4. and be it further 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
tlictcd and no sentence OF any military COM
mission or tribunal hereby authorized, affecting
.L, e., Of ho "a
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 so far as they may conflict
with its provisions P,OUided, That no 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 one of the aforesaid rebel States
shall have formed constitution OF government
in conformity with the Constitution OF the
United States i'll all respects, framed by
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 rs may be DISTINGUISHED for partici-
patton in Iry ,,v.lon 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 by majority OF the
persons voting on the question OF ratification 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 vote Gifts Legislature elect
cd under said constitution shall have adopted the
amendment to the Constitution OF the United
States proposed by the Thirty Ninth Congress,
and ,.nOwn as 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 Representatives shall be admitted thererom
on their taking the oath prescribed by law, and
then and thereafter the preceding sections of
Il is act shall be imperative in said State oyi-
Ged, 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 as member of the convention
to frame constitution for any of said rebel
States, nor shall any such person vote for men,
bcrs of said convention.
SEC. g. Ind Del fuyther enacted, That until
the people of said rebel States shall be, by law, adj
mittcd 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 to the paramount au-
thority of the United States ut any time to abol-
ish modify, control OF supersedc the same !; and
in all elections 20 any Office under such provis-
ional governments all persons shall be entitled to
vote, and none other, who are entitled to vote
under the provisions of the filth 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.