The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-11-30
RECONSTRUCTION.
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE MORE Eff
GENT GOVERNMENT OF THE REBEL STATES.

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AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE MORE EFF
GENT GOVERNMENT OF THE REBEL STATES
WHEREAS, no legal State governments or ade
quate protectionfor life or properly now eSists
in the rebel States of Virginia, North Carohna,
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana,
Florida, Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas, ana
whereas, tits necessary that peace ana Sood orueI
should be enforced in said States until loyal ana
republican State governments can be legally es-
tablished; therefore,
Be 1t enacted by the Senate and Ho~Se % 1tcPfe-
SeRtatiGeS Of tie United SItes Of Anc''ca s1 Coh,
gress assembled That said rebel States shall
be divided into military districts, and made sub
ject to the military authority ofthe United States
as hereinafter prescribed, and Tor that purpose
Virginia shall constitute the first dislnct Nofth-
Carolina and South Carolina the second district;
Georgia, Alabama and Florida the third district !;
Mississippi and Arkansas the fourtn dlstict, ana
Louisiana and Texas the fifth district.
SEC =. Ind be it FURTHER endctcd, That 1t shall
be the duty of the President to assign to II COM
mand of each Of said districts ALI officer OF the
army not below the rank OF brigadier general,
and to detail sufficient military ioree 10 enable
his authority within the district to which he Is
assigned.
SEC. 3. Ind 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 insurrection dis
order and violence, and TO punish or cause to be
punished all disturbers of the public peace and
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 trl-
bunals for that purpose; and all interference
under color of State authority with the eNer-
else of military authority under this act shall be
null and void.
SEC L. 1Aad 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 snail De IN
tod. SANTA n
mission tribunal hereby authorized, affecting
the life or liberty of any person, SHALL be eNecu,
ted until it is approved by the officer III command
of the district and the laws and regulations Tor
the government OF the army shall not be affected
BY this act except in SO far as they may conflict
with its provisions Ii'ooided That no sentence
of death under the provisions OF this act shall De
carried into effect without the approval OF the
President"
sec. 5. Ind be atuther enacted, That when
the people of of the aforesaid rebel States
in conformity with the Constitution of the
United States in all respects, framed by a
convention of delegates elected by the male
citizens of said State twenty-one years old and
upward, of whatever race color, previous
condition, who have been resident in said State
for year previous to the day of such election,
except such may be DISTINGUISHED for partici-
patton in 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 have the qualifications herein
stated for election of delegates and when such
constitution shall be ratified by majority of the
persons voting 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 ofits Legislature elect
ed under said constitution shall have adopted the
amendment TO the Constitution OF the United
States proposed by the Thirty Ninth Congress,
and Anown 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 thercirom
on their taking the oath prescribed by law, and
then and thereafter the preceding sections of
ii is act shall be imperative in said State POp |
dn9 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 member of the convention |
to frame constitution for any of said rebel |
States, nor shall any such person vote for mem |
bers of said convention.
SEC. g. Ind be it further eaactak That until |
the people of said rebel States shall be, by law ad-
mitted 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 alI-
thority of the United States at any time to abol-
ish modify, control OF supersede the same ; and |
in all elections to any office under such proyis-
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 consti
tutional amendment.