The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-07-19
SOUTHERN TERRITORIES.
A New Reconsfruction Bill from Mr.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Control by Con-

A New Reconsfruction Bili from Mr.
stevens-supreme Control by Com
gress. .'
WASHINGTON, July 16.-The bill in
troduced by Mr.. Stevens, of Pennsylva-
MIA, to-day to enable the inhabitants Of
the late rebel States to form State Gov
ernments is follows:
Be II enacted By the Senate and House Of
Representatives Of the United States Of
l4merioa in Congress assembled, That all
governments and pretended govern
ments within that portion of the terri
tory which lately claimed to belong to
the Confederate States of America, and
which the United States have conquer
ed, to wit The territory lately
called the State of Virginia, (here
follows names of all the South
ern States, designated as Virgin
10 is, and the bill then proceeds as
follows i are hereby declared null and
void and of no effect, other than that
which they shall derive from the ac-
ton of Congress. The municipal cor
porations and Offices existing de facto
for local purposes shall be continued
until Congress, or those authorized by
Congress, shall determine their exist
ence.
Sec. =. ind be il further enacted, That
until the said territories shall be pre-
pared with a proper Constitution and
regularly admitted in the Union as new
States they shall be governed as fol-
lows: Three commissioners, civilians,
shall be chosen by the joint action OF
the Senate and House of Representa-
tives for each of the divisions now called
military districts, two of whom shall be
nominated by the House and one by the
Senate, who shall be called commits
sioners of Reconstruction. They shall dis
charge all the duties which, by the act
of March ., 1867, and its supplement
of March 90, 1867, are now enjoined up
on the military commanders, except so
far as is altered by this act, and they
shall proceed TO correct and complete
the registration already in progress
with all convenient speed. When the
registration is completed they shall
take the same action with regard to the
formation of the constitution as Is now
prescribed to the military commanders
| in the acts aforesaid, and whenever any
portion of said territory shall have been
formed into a proper State, and It's con-
stitution submitted to Congress and ap-
proved by it, it shall be admitted into
the Union and declared capable of rep
resentatiou in the Congress OF the
United States. The military command
ers and all military authorities are here
by relieved from any duty within said
Territory, except the preservation ut
peace. which they shall enforce upon
the demand of the commissioners of re-
construction or any of them. The ad-
mission of new StGes into the Union and
the reconstruction of old ones is the
: sole duty and work of Congress, and
neither the President or any head OF
Department, northe judiciary, nor the
military, have arS right to interfere IN
such matters, Unless required by the
, Congress of the United States. The
opinion of the !ttOrney General upon
anv point connected with the admission
of new States, o. the reconstruction oi
DESTROYED ones is unauthorized and
ought not to be Obtruded upon govern
ment. Lest thGe may be misunder'
standing with regard to who are en-
titled to exercie the elective franchise,
both in the ele ton of delegates to form
a convention, md in the confirmation
or rejection q any constitution they
NAV form. it il declared that all such
persons who voluntarily engaged III the
late rebellion shall be excluded
| % tlnf
may be prved by parole, eyl'
dence, and br that purpose the
commissioners reconstruction, or eth
er of them, shall have full power to cal
witnesses, administer Oaths, ask ques
tions. and conduct the examination IL
such manner As may be necessary to as
certain the truth. Any false swearing
under this law shall be deemed felony
and punished as such. The residence
required in said acts must be continuous
Immediately preceding the election a
which the vote is offered. No person
who. during the time of the rebellion
held any judicial or executive Office un
der the government called the Confeder
ate States of America, or under either o
said STATES, shall be registered, nor mil
lOdi OLhCFio WIZ, uNllluR buO ca AlobShN'
of the government of the Confederate
States, held Office either in its army, OI
militia of either of said States; anC
nothing in this act shall be held TO ad
NIT to registration any of the classes eX
cluded by the act to which this is sup
plement.
Sec. 3. Ind be il further enacted, Tha
the Commissions of Reconstruction, eacl
within its own Jurisdiction, shall have
full power to remove any municipa
officer OF magistrate or State judge, and
if it sees proper, to fill the vacancy by
new appointments whenever it shall
deem the public good shall require 1t
From the acts and doings of the respec
tive boards and commissions there shal
he no appeal except to Congress.
Sec. 4. Ind be it further enacted, Tha
so much of the act of March ., lS67, anC
its supplement of March 23 1867, as il
not altered by this act shall Iemain il
full force and virtue.
Added to the bill, but without an!
words of enactment, is 4 paragraph II
these words:
"If the Commissioners Of the State o
Texas and the State of Louisiana shal
adjudge that the interests of the coun
try require the division of Texas int,
two States, they shall proceed to rul
and mark the division line, and prepar
, them for admission into the Union a
herein prescribed.r