The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-02-09

Whereas the pretended State govern
ments Of the late so-called Confederate
States Of Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama,
Louisiana, Florida, Texas, and Arkansas
were set up without the authority Of Con-
gress and without the sanction Of the peo-
pie; and whereas the said pretended 60
vernments afford no adequate protection
for life or property, but c~ountenance and
encourage lawlessness and crime and
whereas 1t Is necessary that peace and good
order should be enforced in said so-called
States until loyal and republican State
governments can be legally established
therefore
Be IL enacted by the Senate and House of
| Representatives of the United States in Con-
oreSS assembled, That the so-called States
Shall be divided into military districts, and
made subject to the military authority Of
the United States, as hereinafter pre-
Scribed and for that purpose Virginia shall
constitute the first district North Caro-
lima 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.
SECTION 2. and be II further enacted,
That it shall be the duty of the General of
the army to assign to the command Of each
of the said districts an officer Of the regu-
lar army not below the rank Of brigadier-
general, and to detail a sufficient military
force to enable such officer to perform his
duties and enforce his authority within the
district to which he is assigned.
SECTION 3. and be 1t further enacted,
That it shall be the duty Of each officer
assigned as aforesaid to protect all persons
in their right 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
allow civil tribunals to take jurisdiction Of
and to try the offenders, or when in his
judgment it may be necessary for the trial
of offenders, he shall have power to organ
ize military commissions or tribunals for
that purpose, anything in the constitution
and laws Of the so-called States to the con-
trary notwithstanding; and all legislative
or judicial proceedings or processest to pre-
vent or control the proceedings of said
military tribunals, and all interference by
Soiu piStShuSu StatS So'Si hhiSheo "ith viz
exercise of military authority under this
act, shall be void and of no effect.
SECTION 4. And be it further enacted,
That courts and judicial officers of the
United States shall not issue writs of ha-
beaS corpus in behalf of persons in military
custody unless some commissioned officer
on duty in the district wherein the person
is detained shall endorse upon said petition
a statement certifying, upon honor, that he
has knowledge or information as to the
cause and circumstances Of the alleged
detention, and hat he believes the same
to be wrongful; and further, that he be-
lieves that the endorsed petition is prefer
red in good faith and in furtherance of
Justice, and not 10 hinder or delay the
punishment of crime. All persons put I'M
der arrest by virtue Of this act shall be
tried without unnecessary delay, and no
cruel or unusual punishment shall be
inflicted.
SECTION 5. and be it further enacted,
That no sentence of any military commits
sion or tribunal hereby authorized, affecting
the life or liberty of any person, shall be
executed until it is approved by the supe-
rior officer in command Of the district ;
and the laws and regulations for the 60
verDment of the army shall not be affected
bt this act, except in so far as they con-
| fict with its provisions.