The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-07-15
The New Reconstruction Eli as 1t
Became Law.

WASHINGTON, July l3.-The following is
q copy of the Reconstruction bill as it
passed both Houses:
BE it enacted by Tie Senate and House of
representatives of the United States Of
America in Congress assembled, That it IS
hereby declared to have been the true in
tent and meaning Of the act of the I'd OF
March, 1867, entitled can act to provide
for the more efficient government Of the
rebel States" and of the act supplementary
thereto, passed March Esd, 1867, that the
government then existing in the rebel
States of Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana,
Florida, Texas, and Arkansas, were not
legal State governments. and that there
after said governments, if continued, were
continued subject in all respects to the
military commanders of the respective
districts and to the paramount authority
of Congress.
SECTION 2. That the commander of any
district named in said act will have power,
subject to the disapproval of the General
of the army Of the United States, to have
effect till disapproved, Whenever in the
opinion Of such commander the proper ad-
ministration of said act shall require it, to
suspend or remove from office or from the
performance of official duties and the ex-
crcise of official powers any officer or per-
son holding or exercising, or protesting to
hold or exercise, any civil office or duty
in such district under any power, election,
appointment, or authority derived from or
granted by, or claimed under any so-called
State or the government thereof, or any
municipal or other division thereof; and
unon such suspension or removal such
commander, subject to the disapproval OF
the general aforesaid, shall have power to
provide from time to time for the perform
ance of the said duties of such officer or
person so suspended or removed by the
detail of some competent officer or soldier
of the army, or by the appointment OF
some other person to perform the same, and
to fill vacancies occasioned by death,
resignation, or otherwise.
SECTION 8. That the General of the
army of the United States shall be invest
ed with all the powers of suspension, re-
moval, and appointment and detail, grant
ed in 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
offices, and appointing others in their stead,
are hereby confirmed: Provided, that
any person heretofore or hereafter APP
pointed 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 said commanders tc
remove from office as aforesaid all persons
who are disloyal to the Government OF the
limited States, or who use their official in
huence in any manner to hinder. delay,
prevent, or obstruct the due and proper
administration of this act and the acts tc
which it is supplementary.
SECTION 5. That the boards OF reglstra
ton provided for in the act entitled " ar
act supplementary to On act entitled al
act to provide for the more efficient 60,
vernment of the rebel States" passed Marcl
%, 1867, shall have power, and i
shall be their duty, before allowing
the registration of any person, to ascer
tain upon such facts or information al
they can obtain whether said person
is entitled to be registered under SAID act
and the oath required by said act shall
not be conclusive on such question; AM
no person shall be registered unless sucl
board shall decide that he is entitled there
to. And such board shall also have powe
to examine under oath, to be administered
by any member of said board, any on
touching the qualifications OF any persol
claiming registration. But in every cas-
of a refusal by the board to regis
ter an applicant, and in every case G
striking his name from the list as herein
after provided, the board shall make me
morandum, which shall be returned wit
the registration list to the commanding g
neral of the district, setting forth tn
grounds Of such refusal or such strlkin
from the list, provided that no perso
shall be disqualified as a member OF an
board of registration by reason OF race
color.
SECTION 6. That the true intent an
; meaning of the oath prescribed IN sal
supplementary act is (among other tmnes
that no person who has been MEMBER
the Legislature Of any State, or VINO M
held any executive or judicial ONCE III an
State, whether he has taken an oatn 10 SUI
port the Constitution of the Unitcd o!aI'
) or not, and whether he was holding sue
K ~ In nn1y,anRlTnanf