The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-02-20
THE SIBERIAN AMENDMENT.

The following is the full text Of Senator SHER
MANS Bill, which recently passed the Senate, ant
was defeated in the House yesterday, as will b.
seen from our telegraphic dispatches this morn
ing:
Whereas, No legal State Governments or ade
s the Rebel States Of Virginia. North Carolina, soutf
Carolina Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louis
ana, Florida, Texas and Arkansas; and whereas il
is necessary that peace and good order should be
enforced in said States until loyal and republican
| State Governments can be legally established
therefore,
Be 1t enacted, &c., That said rebel States shall
| be divided into military districts, and made sub
ject to the military authority of the United
States, Us hereinafter prescribed, and tor that
purpose Virginia shall constitute the first dis.
trict; North Carolina and South Carolina the
second district; Georgia, Alabama and Florida
the third district; Mississippi and Arkansas the
fourth district, and Louisiana and Texas the fifth
district.
SECTION q That it shall be the duty Of the Pre-.
sident 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
military force to enable such officer to perform his
duties and enforce his authority within the district
to which he is assigned.
SECTION 8. That it shall be the duty Of each
officer assigned as aforesaid to protect all persons
in their rights of person and property to suppress
insurrection disorder and violence, and to punish
or cause to be punished all disturbers Of the pub
lie peace and criminals, and to this end he may al
low 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 tribu-
color Of State authority, with the exercise Of mill
tary authority under this Act, shall be null and
void.
SECTION 4. That all persons put under military
arrest by virtue Of this act shall be tried without
unnecessary delay, and no cruel or unusual pun
ishment shall be inflicted; and no sentence Of any
military commission or tribunal hereby author
lied, affecting the life or liberty Of any person,
shall be executed until it is approved by the officer
in command Of the district; and the Laws and re,
be affected by this act, except In go far as they
may conflict with it's provisions.
SEcr1oN 5. That when the people Of any Of said
Rebel States shall have formed q constitution. OF
government in conformity with the Constitution
Of the United States, in all respects, framed by q
convention Of delegates elected by the male citi-
zens Of said State, twenty-one years old and up
ward, of whatever race, color or previous condl-
tion who have been resident in said State TOR one
year previous to the day Of such election, except
the rebellion 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 qualification herein stated
for election OF delegates; and when sqch consh-
tuition shall be ratified by 9 majority OF the
are qualified as electors for delegates, and when
8 -ch constitution shall have been submitted to
Congress for examination and approval, and Con;
eress shall have approved the same; and when said
State, by vote Of it's Legislature elected under
said constitution, shall have adopted the amend
ment to the Constitution Of the United States pro-
posed posed by the Thirty ninth Congress, and known as
article H. and when said article shall have become
q Dart of the Constitution Of the United States,
said State shall be declared entitled to representa-
t;on in Congress- and Senators and Repre- entatyes
shall he admitted therefrom on their taking the
oath oath prescribed by lew, and then and thereafter
the preceding sections Of this act shall be lnopara-
tive in said State.