The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-12-07
RECONSTRUCTION.


AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE MORE EFF
c1pxr GOVERNMENT OF THE REBEL STATES.
WHEREAS no legal State governments or adc-
ouatc protection for life or property now EXISTS
in the rebel States of Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Loulsiu'l'
Florida, Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas anu
whereas it is necessary that peace and good ofuer
should be enforced in said States until loy;ii anu
republican State governments can be legally es-
tablishcd; therefore, .D
sentatircs OF tie United States Of 4nerica IN con,
o1ess assembled, That said rebel States snail
be divided into military districts, ana mace sun
ject to the military authority OF the ni'e. ol..,
as hereinafter prescribed, and Tor that purpose
Virginia shall constitute the first district; NCrth-
Carolina and South-C Carolina the second 9istrict;
Georgia, Alabama and Florida the thlrd distrlct
Mississippi and Arkansas the 1ourtl ulstricl, anu
Louisiana and Texas the fifth district;
SEC =. Andbe Htnther enacted,. That IL snail
be the duty of the President to assign 10 the com
mand of each of said dlstilctS an Queer vi Inc
and to detail sufficient military force 10 enable
such officer to perform his duties and enforce
his authority within The district TO winch he Is
SEC. 3. Ind be ii ,tw,ther enacted, That it
shall be the duty of each officer assigned as alore-
said to protect all persons i'll their rights OF per-
son and property, to suppress lnsurrectloil, dis-
punished all disturbcrS of the public peace and
criminals and to this end he may allow local
civil tribunals to take jurisdiction OF and Try
offenders, when i'll his Judgment 1t may be
necessary for the trial of offenders, he shall have
power to organize military commissions or tn
bunals for that purpose and all interference
under color of State authority with the eXer-
else of military authority under this act shall be
null and void. ;,
SEC. l. And 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 shall be IN
hicted; and no sentence OF any military COM
mission or tribunal hereby authorized, affecting
the life or liberty of any person, shall DC eNecu-
ted until it is approved by the officer i'll 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 they may conflict
with its provisions {; P'oVided, That no sentence
of death under the provisions Of this act shall be
carried into effect without the approval OF the
President"
SEC ). ind be it further enacted, That when
the people of any OF the aforesaid rebel States
Shall have formed a constitution OF government
in conformity with the Constitution OF the
United States in all respects, framed by
convention of delegates elected by the male
citizens of said State twenty-one years old and
upward, of whatever race, color, or previous
condition, who have been resident in said State
for year previous to the day of such election,
except such Us may be disfranchised 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 on the Clestion 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 hnown as article II, 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 thercrom
on their taking the oath prescribed by law, and
then and thereafter the preceding sections OF
Il is act shall be imperative in said State POUi
Del, 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 cntion
to frame a constitution for any of said rebel
States nor shall any such person vote for mem
bcrs of said convention
SEC. o. i.,d ,: Il ta:'ttcr esturted, 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 au-
thorty of the United States at any time to abol-
ish modify, control OF superscde the same and |
in all elections to any Office under such provis-
ional governments all persons shall be entitled to
vote, and none other, who entitled to vote |
under the provisions of the fifth 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.