The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-03
RECONSTRUCTION.

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE MORE EFF
GENT GOVERNMENT OF THE REBEL STATES
WHEREAS. no legal State governments or ade
quate protection for life or property now exists
in the rebel States of Virginia, North Carolina
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana
Florida, Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas, and
whereas, lis necessary that peace and good order
should be enforced in said States until loyal and
republican State. governments can be legally es
tablished; therefore,
Be it enacted 6y the Senate and House of Repre-
se'tdtiyes Of the United States Of Anae'Tca in Con.
gress assembled, That said rebel States, shall
be divided into military districts, and made sub
ect to the military authority ofthe 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 Arkansas the fourth district, and
Louisiana and Texas the fifth district.
SEC. 2. Aad be it further enacted, That it shall
be the duty of the President to assign to the COM
mand of each of said Districts ali officer OF the
army not below the rank of brigadier general,
and to detail sufficient military force to enable
such officer to perform his duties and enforce
his authority within the district to which he is
| assigned. ..-.. -..
SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That it
shall be the duty of each officer assigned as afore-
said to protect all persons i'll their rights OF per-
son and property, to suppress insurrection, dis
order and violence, and to punish or cause to be
punished all disturbers of the public peace and
criminals and to this end he may allow local
| civil tribunals to take Jurisdiction of and 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 tri-
bunals for that purpose; and all interference
else of military authority under this act shall be
null and void.
SEC. 4. Aad be it further enacted, That all
persons put under military arrest by virtue OF
thiS act shall he tried without unnecessary QelaV
and no cruel or unusual punishment shall be in
flicted; and no sentence of any military COM
mission or tribunal hereby authorized, affecting
the life or liberty of any person, shall be execu
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 may 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
Sec 5. and be 1t further enacted, That when
the people of any Of the aforesaid rebel States
shall have formed 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 years old and
upward, of whatever 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 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 as have the qualifications herein
stated for election of delegates and when such
constitution shall be ratified by majority of the
persons voting on the question of ratification who
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 A. and when said article
shall have become part of the Constitution of
the United States, said State shall be declared
titled to representation in Congress. and Senators
and Representatives shall be admitted therefrom |
on their taking the oath prescribed by law, and |
then and thereafter the proceeding sections of |
tits act shall be imperative in said State PrOVi-
led, 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 as member of the convention
to frame constitution for any of said rebel |
States, shall such person vote for men,
Oers of said convention.
SEC. 6. A,ad be it further enacted, That until
he people of said rebel States shall be, by law, ad
nitted to representation in the Congress of the
United States, any civil governments which may
,Xist therein shall be deemed provisional only,
md in all respects subject to the paramount au-
hority of the United States at any time to abol-
sh modify control OF supersedc the same and
II all elections to any office under such provis-
onal governments all persons shall be entitled to
'ote and none other, who are entitled to vote
nder the provisions of the fifth section of this
ct and no person shall be eligible to any Office
nder any such provisional governments who
would be disqualified from holding Office under
he provisions of the third article of said consti
utional amendment.