The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-02-19
RECONSTRUCTION.
Stevens Bill as Passed by the
House Last Wednesday.
sherman's Substitute as Passed
by the Senate Last satur-
day Night.
The Two Documents in Full.

The Two Documents in Full.
The dispatches yesterday morning
informed us that the q. S. Senate had
been in session all night Saturday
night, and amid considerable excite
ment had passed Sherman's substitute
for the military bill of Stevens, which
had passed the House on Wednesday
last We received also a pretty full
summary of the substitute, enough to
| show the points wherein it differed from
the Stevens bill. We, however, repro
duce its full text this morning, and also,
along with it, the bill itself, so that the
reader may have an opportunity of
comparing the two documents at length,
and intelligently arriving at a conciu-
sion in regard to their respective merits.
Both of our Senators, Messrs. Van
Wrinkle and Wiley, voted for the SUBJ
stitute, as was right and proper, for it
is very material and desirable modi-
fication of the bill, in this, that the sub
stitute provides for the restoration of
civil government some day or other in
the South, on the basis of the constitu-
tional amendment, while the other pro-
vides nothing of the kind, but contem-
plates military government indefinite
ly. The one operates, in other words,
determinately and practically, while
the other provides for no fnality such
As we are all looking to.
STEVENS BILL, as PASSED BY THE HOUSE
nszsTsW WE EgVNgy
Il Bill to proUide for Cle more efficient
government Of the inSifrrectloadry
States.
WHEREAS, The pretended State gov
ernments of the late so-called Confed-
crate States of Virginia, North Caroli-
ma, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississip-
pi, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Texas
and Arkansas were set up without the
sanction of the people; and whereas
said pretended governments afford no
Sdequate protection for life or property,
but countenance and encourage law
lessness and crime; and whereas, it is
necessary that peace ans good order
should be enforced in said so-called
States until loyal and republican State
governments can be legally establish
ed therefore,
Be Il enacted By the Senate aud House
Of Representatives. of the CHHed States Of
America iH Congress assembled, That
said late so-called Confederate States
shall be divided into military districts
and made subject TO the military au-
thorily of the United States as herein
after prescribed, and for that purpose
Virginia shall constitute the first dis
trict; North Carolina and South Caro-
lima the second district; Georgia, Ala
bama, and Florida the third district;
Mississippi and Arkansas the fourth
district, and Louisiana and Texas the
fifth district.
SEC. .. ARd be If further enacted. That
it shall be the duty of the General of
the army to assign to the command OF
each of said districts, an officer of the
army, not below the rank of brigadier
general, and to detail sufficient mil
itary force to enable such officer TO per-
formhis duties and enforce his authority
within the district to which he is as
signed.
SEC. 3. And be 1t further enacted, That
it shall be the duty of each officer as
signed as aforesaid, to protect all per-
sons in their rights of person and
property, to suppress insurrection, dis
order and violence, and to punish, or
cause to be punished, all disIurbers of
the public peace and criminals, and TO
this end he may allow local civil tri-
bunAls to take jurisdiction. of and to
try offenders, or, when in his judgment
IL may be necessary for the trial of Of
Tenders, he shall have power to organ
iZe military commissions or tribunals
for that purpose, anything in the Con-
stitution and laws of any of the so-call-
ed Confederate States TO the contrary
notwithstanding; and all legislative or
judicial proceedings or processes to pre-
vent or control the proceedings of said
military tribunals, and all Interference
by said pretended State governments
with the exercise OF military authority
under this act, shall be void and of no
effect.
SEC. 4. And be It further enacted, That
courts and judicial officers of the Uni-
ted States shall not issue writs of hd6s-
as corpus in behalf of persons in mil
iLary custody, except in cases in which
the person is held to answer only for a
crime or crimes exclusively within the
Jurisdiction of the courts OF the United
States within said military districts,
and indictable therein, or unless some
commissioned officer on duty in the
district wherein the person is detained
shall endorse upon said petition a
statement certifying upon honor that
he has knowledge or Information As to
the cause and circumstances OF the al
legged detention, and that he be-
heyes the same TO be wrong
full, and further. that he believes that
the endorsed petition is preferred in
good faith and in furtherance Ofjustice,
and not to hinder or delay the punish
ulent Oh CRIME. All persons put uuOeE
military arrest By virtue of, this act
shall be tried without unnecessary de-
lay, and no cruel or unusual punish
mert shall be inflicted.
SEC. D. AIld be II further enacted, That
mo sentence OF, any military commits
sion or tribunal hereby authorized af-
tecting the life or liberty of any person
shall be executed until It is approved
by the officer in command OF the dis
trict, and the laws and regulations for
the government of the army shall not
be affected by this act except in so far
as they conflict with its provisions.
sHER1IAN's SUBSTITUTE, As PASSED BY
THE SENATE LAST SATURDAY NIGHT.
WHEREAS, No legal State Govern
u1etIts or adequate protection for life or
..a-.nr+- nr-r s.rists in the ratnaI Ssratas