The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-08-03
RECONSTRUCTION.
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE MORE Eff
GENT GOVERNMENT OF THE REBEL STATES.

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE MORE EFF
GENT GOVERNMENT OF THE REBEL STATES
WHEREAS, no legal State governments or ade
quate protection for life or property now eXlsts
in the rebel States of Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Loulsiala,,
Florida, Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas, ana
whereas, itis necessary that peace and good orael
should.be enforcedin said States until loyal anu
republican State governments can De leSally %
tablshed; therefore,
Be 1t enacted By tie Senate and House o. l'epre-
sentatives Of the United States Of A"'s,7ca u" Go1 1
gresS assembled, That said rebel states silI i
be divided into military districts, ana MAGE SUI
ject to the military authority OF onteu n.stes,
as hereinafter prescribed, and for that purpose
Virginia shall constitute the IFsI ulsIilS' ~ ~
Carolina and South Carolina the SECOND uisLr!ct'
Georoia Alabama and Florida the third district
Mississippi and Arkansas the fourth district, ana
Louisiana and Texas the fifth district.
src D dvdbe it further enacted, That it shall
be the duty of the President to assign to the COM
mand Of each of said districts an officer of the
army not below the rank OF brigadier general,
and to detail sufficient military M force to enable liable
his authority within the district to which he is
assigned. :.
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 instruction, DIS
order, and violence, and to punish or cause TO pc
punished all disturbers of the public peace ana
criminals and to this end he may allow local
civil tribunals to take jurisdiction of and try
offenders, or when in his Judgment it may be
necessary for the trial of offenders, he shall have
power to organize military commissions or tr1-
bunals for that purpose and all interference
under color of State authority WIN the eHer-
else of military authority unaer Ihs acG snall pe
null and void.
Sec 4. Asad be it tnrthcr 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
fiicted; and no sentence of any military Com
mission or tribunal hereby authorized, affecting
&c hall Ioox
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 ; Provided, That no sentenceS
OF death under the provisions of this act shall be
carried into effect without the approval OF the
President.
SEQ. 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
conyt ntion 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 ore year previous to the day of such election,
except such as may be DISTINGUISHED for partici-
patton in the rebellion or for felony at common
law; and when such constitution shall provide
that tie 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
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 sid State, by vote ofits 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 hnown as article Il, 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 therefrom
their taking the oath prescribed by law, and
then and thereafter the preceding sections of
ills act shall be imperative in said State P'O0j-
ded, That no person excluded from the privilege
of holding office by said proposed amendment to
the Con stitution 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. e. A1ad be 1t further enacted, That until
the peof e of said rebel States shall be- by law adj
mittcd . representation in the Congress of the
United States, any civil governments which may
exist therein shall be deemed provisional only,
ana in all respects subject to the paramount au-
thority If the United States at any time to abol-
ish modify, control OF supersede the same and
in all elections to any office under such provis
iona governments all persons shall be entitled to
vote, AMI none other, who are entitled to vote
under the provisions of the fifth section of this
act ; and no person shall be eligible to any Office
under a;y such provisional governments who
would H.; disqualified from holding office under
the provisions of the third article of said consti
tutiOndi amendment.