The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-06-17
The Reconstruction Act,

We publish below the act recently passed.
by Congress for the restoration OF certain
reyolted States to their lost Constitutional
relations 1t is not known what the Presl.
dent will do with the BILL Should he veto
t,however, it will be easy to pass it over
his veto by two-thirds vote.
1t is provided by this act that as soon as
the Legislatures assemble and ratily the
Howard amendment, their members OF Con-
orers will be admitted to their seats; and
tlereupon the new State governments will
at once be inaugurated. We do not antici-
pate eny trouble from what is called the
Iron clad' test-oath, which it is supposed
may he applied to members of the Legisla-
ture. Whatever is necessary to be done, or
omitted, will be done or omitted as far as
practicable, to enable the Legislatures to
meet and ratify the amendment. As soon as
that is done the States will cease to be, in
any sense, in q provisional condition. We
think it more than probable the Legislature
will meet early in July. .....a
WHEREAS, the people of North Carolina,
South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, Ala
bama, and Florida have in pursuance of the
provisions of an act entitled An act for
the more efficient government of the rebel
States" passed March second, eighteen hun
dred and sixty-seven, and the acts supple
mentary thereto, framed constitutions of
State government which are republican, and
have adopted such constitutions by large
maiOrities of the votes cast at the elections
held for the ratification or rejection of the
same: therefore,
Be it enacted, &c. That each of the States
of North Carolina, South Carolina, Louis
lana, Georgia, Alabama and Florida shall
be entitled and admitted to representation
| in Congress as a State of the Union when
f, the Legislature of such State shall have du-
| ly ratified the amendment to the COnstitu-
! ton of the United States proposed by the
| Thirty. Ninth Congress, and known as article
fourteen, upon the following fun damental
conditions That the constitutions of nei-
ther of said States shall ever he so amended
or changed as to deprive any citizen
or citizens of the United States of the right
| to vote in said State who are entitled to vote
by the constitution thereof herein recognize
ed, except as punishment for such crimes
| as are now feonies at common law, whereof
they shall have been duly convicted under
laws eqally applicable to all the inhabitants
of said State; Preceded, That any altcra-
ton of said constitutions, prospective in its
effect. may be made with regard to the time
and place of residence of voters; and the
| State of Georgia shall only be entitled and
admitted to representation upon this further
| fundamental condition; that the first and
third subdivisions of section seventeen of
the fifth article of the constitution of said
State, except the proviso to the first sub
| divisien, shall be null and void, and that the
General Assembly of said State 10y solemn
public act shall declare the assent of the
State to the foregoing fundamental condi-
| ton
Sec g. That if the day fixed for the first
meeting of the Legislature of either of said
States. By the constitution or ordinance
thereof, shall have passed, or have so nearly
arrived before the passage of this act, that
there shall not be time for the Legislature to
assemble at the period fixed, such Legisla-
turc shall convene at the end of twenty days
| from the time this act takes effect, unless the
| Governor elect shall sooner convene the same
Sec. 3. That the first section of this act
shall take effect as to each State, except
Georgia. when such State shall, by its Legis-
lature, duly ratify article fourteen of the
amendments to the Constitution of the Uni
ted States proposed by the seth Congress,
and as to the State of Georgia, when it shall,
in addition, give the assent as said State to
the fundamental condition hereinbefore i'm
posed upon the same; and thereupon the
officers of each State, du,y elected and quail
| fled under the constitution thereof, shall be
inaugurated without delay; but no person
prohibited from holding office under any
State by section three oft proposed amend
ment to the Constitution of the United States
known as article fourteen. shall be deemed
eligible to any office in either of said States,
unless relieved from disability as provided in
said amendment. And it is hereby made
the duty of the President, within ten days
after receiving official information of the
ratification of said amendment by the Leg
! islaturc of said States, to issue a proclana-
ton announcing that fact.