The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-02-22
Negroes, however, are


not eligible to office.
II is supposed there will be about double
"A many white as black voters In Virginia.
The present Legislature cannot ralliy
the amendment. 1t must be done oy .
Jeoislature to be elected under const''u-
ton hereafter to be framed. /.
The following Is
THE BILL AS IT FINALLYP PASSED Inn 9".' : =
whoreas no legal State governments or
.e ,,rotectjon for life or property
aoe4"";s In the rebel States Of Virginia,
Now Ms, Ca Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,
rsU,.;ss,nni. Alabama, Louisiana, Florida,
TaSs. and Arkansas; and whereas It Is
necessary that peace and good order should
be enforced In said States until loyal and
republican State governments can be le-
gaily established; therefore
BE it enacted BY the Senate and House Of
Representatives of the United States Of An'e-
RIGA in Congress assembled, That said rebel
States shall be divided into military dis
tricts, and made subject to the military au-
thority of the United States, as hereinafter
prescribed, and for that purpose Virginia
shall constitute the first district; North
Carolina and South Carolina the second
district. Georgia, Alabama, and Florida
the third district; Mississippi and Ar
kansas the fourth district; and LOUISIANA
and Texas the fifth district.
SECTION Q. And be II further enacted,
That it shall be the duty of the President
70 assign to the command Of each OF said
districts an officer Of the army not below
the rank Of brigadier- general, and to de-
tail a sufficient military force to enable
such officer to perform his duties and en-
force his authority within the district to
which he is assigned.
SECTION 8. And be II further enacted,
That it shall be the duty of each ofhcer
assigned as aforesaid to protect all persons
in their rights of person and property, to
suppress insurrection, disorder, and vio-
lence, and to punish, or cause to be pun
ished, all disturbers Of the public peace,
and criminals; and to this end he may al
low local civil tribunals to take jurisdic-
ton of and to try offenders; or, when in
his Judgment it may be necessary for the
trial of offenders, he shall have power
to organize military commissions or tribu-
nails for that purpose; and all interference
under color of State authority with the
exercise of military authority under this
act shall be null and void.
SECTION 4. And be 1t 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 inflicted and no SEN
rtence of any military commission or tri-
bunal hereby authorized, affecting the life
or liberty of any person, shall be executed
until it is approved by the officer in CON-
mand of the district; and the laws and
regulations for the government OF the army
shall not be affected by this act except in
so far as they conflict with its provisions
Provided, That no sentence of death under
the provisions of this act shall be carried
into effect without the approval of the
President.
SECTION 5. And be it further enacted,
That when the people Of any one of said
rebel States shall have formed a constitu-
ton of government in conformity with the
Constitution of the United States in all re-
spects, framed by a convention Of delegates
elected by the male citizens OF said State
twenty one years old and upward, Of what
ever race, color, or previous condition, who
have been resident in said State for one
year previous to the day Of such election,
except such as may be DISTINGUISHED for
participation in the rebellion or for felony
at common law, and when such constitu-
ton shall provide that the elective fran
chise shall be enjoyed by all such persons
as have the qualifications herein stated tor
election Of delegates; and when said con-
stitution shall be ratified by majority
of the persons voting on the question of
ratification, who are qualified as cleo
tors for delegates, and when such con-
stitution shall have been submitted to
Congress for examination and approval,
and Congress shall have approved the
same, and when said State, by vote OF It's
Legislature elected under said Constltu-
ton. shall have adopted the amendment to
the Constitution of the United States, pro-
posed by the Thirty-ninth Congress, and
known as article fourteen, and when said
article shall have become part of the
Constitution Of the United States, said
State shall be declared entitled to repre-
sentation in Congress, and senators and
representatives shall be admitted there
from on their taking the oath prescribed
by law, and then and thereafter the prece-
ding sections of this bill shall be inopera-
tive in said State: Provided, That no per-
son excluded from the privilege of holding
office by said proposed amendment to the
Constitution of the United States shall be
eligible to election as member OF the
convention to frame Constitution for any
of said rebel States, nor shall any such per-
son vote for members of said convention.
SECTION G. I4nd be it further enacted,
That until the people of said rebel States
shall be by law admitted 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-
thority of the United States at any time to
abolish, modify, control, or supercede the
same and in all elections to any office
under such provisional governments all
persons shall be entitled to vote, and none
other, who are entitled to vote under the
provisions of the 5th 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 Sd artl-
Gle Of said constitutional amendment.
CAN THE BILL BE PASSED OVER THE
VEro Undoubtedly the Infamous recon-