The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-01-08
: Decentralization.

election of delegates to said Convention at such
places. and shall conduct the election ana give
certificates of election, under such rules and reg
Nations except as herein otherwise PROVIDED, as
were prescribed for the election OF members OF
the House of Commons by the laws OF tne sl al,
of North Carolina Immediately previous to the Sotn
day of May 1861 and any person who shall De
appointed Deputy Marshal, or Inspector, or In,
spector, or Keeper of the Polls, as aforesaid ana
who shall refuse or neglect to perform the duties
required of him under this act, snail be guilty
of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof
before the United States Circuit Court, held IN
sum, or imprisoned for such time as the Court In
its discretion shall fix.
Sirth That the said deputy marshals, keepers
and inspectors of polls, and other necessary as
sistants shall receive the sum of five dollars per
day, for every day they may be engaged in the
discharge of their duties under this act to be as,
certained and paid by the United States Marshal
of the district under the order of the District
Judge. And the United States Marshal in ad-
dtion to his present salary and fees, shall receive
such compensation for the discharge of his duties
under this act as Congress may hereafter allow !;
and the Treasurer of the United States shall pay
to the United States Marshal of said District upon
the order or requsition OF said Judge, out any
moneys in the Treasury not otherwise approprl-
ated, such sums of money from time to time, as
may be necessary for carrying out tue torego-
ing provisions.
Sepenth. That the present organization set up
under martial law by the military power OF the
President, and all officers in said district charged
with the execution ofcivil regulations therein, ex
shall cease to be such, and their functions ana
powers shall terminate at such time as may be
provided by the said Convention after the recog-
milton and approval by Congress OF the State Con-
stitution and civil government provided for and
sought to be established under this act
Eighth. That the President of the United States
is hereby authorized and it shall be his duty, SO
to dispose and employ the military and naval
forces of the United States, from time to time,
and in such places, as to enforce the prompt and
efficient execution of the provisions of this act
I'D and nhn6I
to the laws of the United States, in the said dis
trict, formerly comprising the State OF North
Carolina.
We publish below Mr.. Stevens bill, as
amended, to reconstruct the lnsurgent States.
1t will be remembered that the bill intro
duced by Mr. Stevens on the 18th December,
prepared athis request by North-C arolinians,
was referred to the Committee on Territories,
of which Mr. Ashley is Chairman. But mean
while Mr.. Stevens has amended a former
bill of his, by engrafting on it the main tea-
lures of the North Carolina bill, so as to give
his bill thus amended, which we publish be-
low, precedence on the calendar. 1t will,
therefore, come up at once as soon as Con-
gress re-assembles. 1t is probable the Com
mittee on Territories will report a bill SINH
lar to the one below.
1t will be observed that the amended bill
differs in several respects from the North
Carolina bill, in its machinery, but the oath,
which is the gist of the measure, is preser-
we'd We trust the oath aciU not, IN any ecent, be
altered or omitted. Weare satisfied, from our
knowledge of the South, that it is the best
oath vet devised. Provision should be made,
however, in the bill for Furnishing those who
may succeed in taking it falsely.
Another very important improvement is,
that Mr. Stevens amended bill extends the
oath not merely to office-holders but to coters.
We have conversed with many Unionists, and
heard from others, since our return from
Washington, and it seems to be the general
wish of our loyal people that unrepentant
rebels should be excluded from the ballot
box, and that loyal men only, without re-
gard to color, should be invested with the
ballot. If Congress would do its work
thoroughly, and would extend adequate pro-
lection to the loyal whites and blacks of the
South, let it by no means omit this oath;
but let the oath be test of suffrage, with
out regard to color. This we believe to be
the unanimous wish of the Unionists of this
State. as we'll as of the cotton States, as
shown by the Address of the Southern Re
publican Association, which we publish to-
day.
MIR. STEVENS BILL FOR THE READM1ssIoN OF THE
SOUTHERN STATES.
[By Telegraph to the Tribune
WAsHINGTON Dec. 2l.-The following bill, in
troduced into the House last session by Mr.. Ste
vens 'To enable the States lately in rebellion to
regain their privileges in the Union," has been
amended considerably, and in its amended form
will be called up for action by Mr.. Stevens in a
few days:
regain their privileges in the Union.
Whereas, The eleven States, which lately formed
the Government called the Confederate States
of America, have forfeited all their rights under
the Constitution, and can be reinstated in the
same only through the action of Congress there
fore,
81 it enacted By the Senate and House Of Represe,-
assena6ed That the eleven States lately in rebel
lion, except Tennessee, may form valid State
Governments in the following manner:
SECTION 2. And be it further enacted, That the
illegally formed in the midst of martial law, and
in many instances the constitutions were adopted
under duress, and not submitted to the ratifica-
ton of the people, and therefore are not to be
treated as free republics, yet they are hereby ac
knowledged as valid governments for municipal
purposes until the same shall be duly altered, land
their legislative and executive officers shall be
recognized as such.
SEC 8. Ind be it further enacted, That the ten
States which were lately in rebellion, and have not
been admitted to representation in Congress, shall
hold elections on the first Tuesday of May, 1867,
to choose delegates to convention to form
State Government. The Convention shall con-
sist of the same number of members the most
numerous branch of the Legislature of said State
before the Rebellion. 1t shall meet at the former
capital of said State on the first Monday of June
of said year, at IL o'clock noon, with power to
adjourn from time to time, and shall proceed to
form State Constitution. which shall be submit
ted to the people al such time as the Convention
shall direct, and if ratified by ma jority of legal
votes shall be declared the Constitution of the
State. Congress shall elect Commission for
each of said States, to consist of three persons,
who shalt select direct the mode of selecting
the election of officers for the several election dis
tricts which districts shall be the as before
the Rebellion, unless allotted by said Commits
sion. The officers shall consist OF one judge and
two inspectors of elections and two clerks. The
said officers together with all the expenses of
the election shall be paid by the United States,
and said expenses shall be repaid by said State
per day for the time actually employed. Each of
the members of said Commission shall receive
SO, 900 per annuni, and their clerks $4,000. The
Commission shall procure all the necessary books,
stationery and boxes, and to make all regulations
to effect the objects of this act. The President
of the United States and the military comman-
der of the district shall furnish so much mil
itary aid as the said Commissioners shall deem
necessary to protect the polls and keep the peace
at each of the election districts. IT, by any means,
no elections should be held in any of said late
States the day herein fixed, then said election
shall be held on the third Monday of May, 1867,
in the manner herein prescribed. Returns OF all
such elections shall be made to the said Commits
sfoners, whose certificates of election shall be ori
mt facie evid ence of the fact
SEC. f. Antt be it further enacted, That persons
who Stall be entitled to vote at both of said cleo
Coll II 10 nif yohn