The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-15
Final Passage of the Supplementary
Reconstruction Bill.

both Houses of Congress on Saturday, and was
Immediately sent to the President. The bill Is
a brief one consisting Of only eleven sections.
The 6yst section declares the true intent
and meaning of the original Reconstruction
acts 10 have been that the Governments then
exStino in the late Rebel States "were not
locol state Governments" and if continued
wera 70 be in all respects "subject to the mill
tarv commanders of the respective DISTRICTS
and to the paramount authority of Congress"
Section confers upon the Commander of
every District, subject to the approval Of the
General of the Army of the United States
power to suspend or remove any officer, civil
or military, pretending to hold under the au-
thority of any so-called State Government
within his District, and to FILL his place by ap-
pontment.
Section confers upon the General of the
Army the same powers conferred, in section 2
upon the District Commanders.
Section confirms the removals and appoint
ments already made by the District Com
manders, and makes it their positive duty to
remove from Office all disloyal persons and
defeat the execution of the law.
Section refers to the matter of regis
tration, making it the duty of Registration
Boards to ascertain, by such infor nation as
they may be able to obtain, whether applicants
for registration are entitled to be regis tered;
provides that the oath of the applicants shall
not be received as conclusive, and that no
person shall be registered unless such board
shall decide that he is entitled thereto.
Section defines with particularly the in
tent of the law with reference to the holding
of Office as disqualification for registration.
Section 7 provides that, in the discretion of
the commander of any district, the time for
completing the original registration may be
extended to the first day of October, 1857
also, that the Registration Boards shall de-
vote five days, commencing fourteen days pre-
vious to any election held under the act, to
revision of the registry, when they shall strike
from the list the name of any person who
they may be satisfied was not entitled to be
registered, and add the names of any who are
entitled, and have not already been regis
tered but no person who would otherwise be
disqualified shall be registered by virtue of
any Executive pardon or amnesty.
Section s imposes the oath of Office pre-
scribed by law upon United States officers
upon all persons holding Office, under what
ever authority, in the military districts.
Section declares that no District Com
mander, or officer under him, shall be bound
in his action by any opinion of any civil officer
of the United States.
Section TO authorizes the commanding gene
raj in any district to remove any member of a
board of registration and appoint another in
his stead.
Section IL declares that this act and those to
which it is supplementary shall be construed
literally, to the end that all the intents thereof
may be fully and perfectly carried out.
Such is brief summary of the measure that
Congress has so promptly and unanimously
passed. 1t will be seen that no additional
burdens have been laid upon the people Of
the late Rebel States, no difficulties thrown in
the way of reconstruction, no harsh measures
imposed. Congress has merely removed out
of the way the stumbling blocks placed in the
path of reconstruction by the President. Both
Houses would be prepared to adjourn and go
home, were it not that they are obliged to wait
untn the President shall have interposed once
more his Intellectual veto. The session was
entirely unnecessary. The law as it stood was
plain enough, and was we'll understood by the
President. Had he been willing to honestly
execute 1t, Congress need not have assembled.
This supplementary bill is really no more ex-
plicit than was the original one. A fair and
honest Interpretation of that would have
reached the same ends attained by this one.
And we have no doubt that Stanbery's genius
at pettifogging would enable him to explain
away or get around the plainest provisions of
this bill just passed as easily as in the case Of
the original acts.
The action Of Congress at this adjourned
session has been eminently wise. Ithas givel
the lie completely to those who have SO per
sistently asserted that its only object was t
hinder the work Of reconstruction and della
the admission of the late Rebel States. 1t ha
strengthened its position with the people, an
earned anew the confidence of the country.
A Political ResurrectiOnist.
OuR Democratic contemporary, with hendis