The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-07-23
THE NEW RECONSTRUCTION SUP
ELEMENTAL BILL.
Passed at the present Session Of Congress.

House OF Representatives u tHe Ouitea Ctates
of America in Congress assembled, That it is
hereby declared to have been the true intent
and meaning of the act of the second day of
March, one thousand eight hundred and sixty
seven. entitled an act for the more efficient gov
eminent of the rebel States, and of the act sup
Elementary thereto, passed on the 24th day of
March. ia the year 1867, that the governments
then existing In the rebel States of Virginia,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mis-
sissippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Texas and
Arkansas were Illegal an void, and thereafter
the same governments. if continued, were to be
continued subject in all respects to the military
commanders of the respective Districts and to
the authority of Congress.
Section g And be it further enacted, That
the commander of any district named in said act
shall have power, subject to the approval of the
General of the armies Of the United States, to
have effect till disapproved, whenever in the
opinion of such commander the proper admin
stration of said act shall require it, to suspend
or remove from Office or from the performance
of official duties and the exercise of official
powers, any officer or person holding exer-
cising, or protesting to hold or exercise, any
civil or military Office or duty in such district
| under any power, election, appointment, or au-
thority derived from or granted by, or claimed
| under any so-called State or the government
thereof or any munich al or other division there
of, and upon such suspension or removal such
commander subject to the approval OF the Gen
eral aforesaid, shall have the power to provide
| from time to time for the performance of the
said duties of such officer person so suspended
or removed, by the detail of some competent
officer or soldier of the army or by the appoint
ment of some other person to perform the same,
and to fill vacancies occasioned by death, resig-
nation or otherwise.
Section 8 And be it further enacted, That
| the General of the armies of the United States
shall be invested with all the powers OF suspen-
sion, removal appointment and detail granted
10 the preceding section to district commanders.
| Section 4 And be it further enacted, That
the acts of the officers of the army already done
in removing in said districts persons exercising
the functions of civil officers and appointing
others in their stead are hereby confirmed; pro-
| vided that any person heretofore or hereafter
appointed by any district commander to exercise
the functions of any civil Office 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
Office, as aforesaid, all persons who are disoyal
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.
Section 5. And be it further enacted, That
the boards of registration provided for in the
act entitled Gan act supplementary to an act
entitled IAN act to provide for the more efficient
government of the rebel States" passed March
I'd, eighteen hundred and sixty seven, shall have
power, and it shall be their duty before allow
ing the registration of any person, to ascertain
upon such facts or information they OBJ
tain, whether such person is entitled to be reg
istered under said act, and the oath required by
said act shall not be conclusive on such question,
and 20 person shall be registered unless such
board shall decide that he is entitled thereto;
and such board shall also have power to examine
under oath (to be administered by any member
of such board) any one touching the qualifca
ton of any person claiming registration. But
in every of refusal by the board to register
an applicant, made in every case hereinafter
provided, the board shall make note or memo
randum, which shall be returned with the reg
istration 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 a mem
Der of any board Of registration by reason of
race or color.
Section g. And be it further enacted, That the
true intent and meaning of the oath prescribed
in said supplementary act is (among other things
| that no person who has been a member Of the
| Legislature of any State who has held any ex
ecuve or judicial Office in any State, whether he
has taken an oath to support the Constitution Of
the United States not, and whether he was
holding such office at the commencement of the
| rebellion or had held it before. and who has af-
terward engaged in instruction or rebellion
| against the United States, given aid or COM
fort to the enemies thereof is entitled to be regis
tered or to vote; and the words Executive or
judicial Office in any State" in said oath men
toned shall he construed to include all civil offices
created by law for the administration of the
general laws of the State, or for the administration
Of justice.
Section 7. And be it further enacted, That the
time for completing the original registration pro-
vided for in said act may in the discretion of the
commander of any district be extended to the LIST
day of October, 1867; and the boards of rpgistra-
| ton shall have power and it shall be their duty
. commencing fourteen days prior to any election
under said act, and upon reasonable public notice
of the time and place thereof, to revise for a
period of three days the registration lists: and
upon being satisfied that any person not entitled
thereto has been registered, to strike the name of
such person rom the list. And such board shall
also, during the same period, add to such registry
the names of all persons who at that time pos
sess the qualifications required by said act who
have not been already registered, and no person
shall at any time be entitled to be registered or
to vote by reason of any executive pardon or am
nesty for any act CT thing which, without such
pardon or amnesty, would disquaKfy him from
registration voting.