The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-12-03
RECONSTRUCTION.
:, ,,.mentarv Reconstruction Bill.

SEC /, Be- At enacted By the Senate an
y{,use OF Representatives q the Cnlte@ Stt6e
of 19ue,frg IN Congress 0Ssem6te6, mat III
hereby declared to have been the true lnten
and meaning of the act of March "a, A. u
1867 entitled an act to provide for the NOR
efficient government Of the rebel States
and of the act supplementary thereto, passed
on the Odd day of March, in the year 1857
that the governments, then existing IN th'
rebel States of Virginia, Norlh-Caroilna
Soutb-Carolna, Georgia, Mississlppl, Ala
bama, Louisiana, Florida, Texas ana Afhah
sas. were illegal and VOID, ana therealteI tiit
same governments, if continued, were TO DC
continued subject in all respects To the Mill
tary Commanders of the respective Dlstrlcts
and to the authority of Congress-.
SEC. 2. ind be 1t further enacted, That the
commander OF any district named IN SAID acl
shall have power, subject to the approval o,
the General of the armies of the United
States, to have effect till disapproVed'
whenever in the opinion of such com
mander the proper administration OF salo
act shall require it, to suspend or re-
move from Office. or from the performance
of official duties and the exercise OF ofhclal
powers. any officer or person holding or ex-
ercising, or protesting to hold or exercise
anv civil or military office, or duty In such
district under any power, election, appoint
ment or authority derived from or granted
bv. or claimed under any so-cailed State or
the government thereof, or any municipal or
other division thereof, and upon such sus-
pension or removal such commander, subject
to the approval of the General aforesaid,
shall have power to provide from time to
time fol the performance of the said duties
of such officer or person, so suspended or re-
moved by the detail of some competent Of
ficer or soldier of the army or by the APP
pointment of some other person to perform
the same, and to fill vacancies occasloned by
death, resignation or otherwise.
SEC 3. 4nd be it further enacted, That
the General of the armies of the United
States shall be invested with all the power OF
suspension, removal, appointment and detail
granted in the preceding section to district
commanders.
SEC. 4. And be 1t further enacted, That
the acts of the officers of the army already
done in removing in said districts persons
execising the functions of civil officers and
appointing others i'll their stead, are hereby
confirmed provided that any person hereto
fore or hereafter appointed by any district
commander to exercise the functions OF any
civil Ice may be removed, either by the
military officer in command of the district or
by the General of the army and it shall be
the duty of commanders to remove from of
flee, as aforesaid, all person who are dlsloyal
to the government Of the. United States, or
who use their official influence in any manner
to hinder, delay, prevent or obstruct the due
and proper administration of this act, and
the acts to which this is supplementary.
Sec. 5. Ind be it further enacted, That
the boards of registration provided for in
the act entitled An act supplementary to
an act entitled An act to provide tor the
more efficient government Of the rebel
States passed March ,, 1867, and to facli-
tate restoration" passed March %, 1867,
shall have power, and it shall be their duty
before the allowing the registration Of any
person. to ascertain, upon such facts or in
formation as they can obtain. whether such
person is entitled to he registered under
said act, and the oath required by said act
shall not be conclusive on such question,
and no person shall be registered unless such
board shall decide that he is entitled there |
to; and such board shall also have power to |
examine under oath Ito be administered by !
any member Of such board( any one touch |
ing the qualification of any person claiming |
registration. But in every case of refusal
by the board to register an applicant, made |
in every case hereinafter provided, the board |
shall make a note or memorandum, which !
shall be returned with the registration list to
the commanding Generals of the Districts |
setting forth the ground OF such REFUSAL or
such striking from the list: Provided, that |
no person shall be disqualified. as member |
of any board OF registration, by reason of
race or color.
SEC g. Ind be 1T FURTHER eaactcd. That
The true intent and meaning of the oath pre-
scribed in said supplementary act is, (among
other things,) that no person who has been
4 member of the Legislature Of any State,
Dr. who has held any executive or judicial
office in any State, whether he has taken an
path to support the Constitution of the Uni
ted States or not, and whether he was hold
ing such Office at the commencement of the
or had held it before, and who has
engaged in instruction or rebel
ion againstthe United States, or given aid or
comfort to the enemies thereof, is entitled to
be registered or to vote; and the words g eX-
,cutive or judicial office in any State in
said oath mentioned shall be construed to
include all civil offices created by law for the
of the general law of the
State, or for the administration of justice.
Sec. Z. Ind be 1t + further enacted, That the
lime for completing the original registration
provided for in said act may, in the discre-
Jon Oh the commmander OF any district, be
to the list day of October, 1867:
and the boards of registration shall have
power, and 1t shall be their duty, commenc-
ng fourteen days prior to any election under
said act, and upon reasonable public notice
If the time and place thereof, to revise for a
period of three days the registration lists
md upon being satisfied that any person not
untitled thereto has been registered, to strike
he name of such person from the list. And
uch board shall also, during the same peri
ID, add to such registry the names of all
persons who at that time possess the qualifi-
cations required by said act who have not
been already registered, and no person shall
It any time be entitled to be registered or to
yote by reason of any executive pardon or
for any act or thing which, with
'ut such pardon or amnesty, would disqual-
fy him from registration or voting.
Sec. s. Ind be 1T further enacted, That
&c. of the said last-named act shall be con-
trued to authorize the commanding general
famed therein, whenever he shall deem it
leedful, to remove any member of board
f registration, and to appoint another per-
on in his stead, and to fill any vacancy in
UGH board.
SEC. 8. That all members of said Boards
f Registration and all persons hereafter
lected or appointed to office in said mill
airy districts, under any so-called State or