The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1868-06-06

A Bill to admit the States of North
Carolina, SOuth-CarOiina, Louisiana,
Georgia and Alabama to Representa-
tiOn in Congress.
WHEREAS, The people of North Carolina,
South Carolina Louisiana Georgia, and Ala
bama have, in pursuance of the provisions
of an act entitled" An act for the more eff
cient government of the rebel States, passed
March second, eighteen hundred and sixty
seven. and the acts supplementary thereto,
framed constitutions of State governments
which are republican in form, and have
adopted said constitutions hy large maiori-
ties of the votes cast at the elections held
for the ratification or rejection of the same: {:
Therefore,
Be 1t eHdctcd By the Senate and House Of
Representatives Of the United States OF Inner
icu in C0nJress assembled. That the States of
North Carolina, South-Carolina, Louisiana
Geol gia. and Alabama shall be entitled and
admitted to representation in Congress as
States of the Union when the Legislatures
of said States respectively shall have duly
ratified the amendment to the Constitution
of the United States proposed by the Thirty
ninth Congress, and known article four
teen. upon the following fundamental condl-
ton That the constitutions OF said States
shall never be amended or changed so as to
discriminate in favor of or against any citi-
in their right to vote who are now entitled
to vote bv said constitutions respectively, eX-
cept as n punishment for such crimes as arc
now telOnes at common law, whereof they
shall have been duly convicted; and no per
son shall ever he held to service or labor as
a punishment for crime in said States except
by public officers charged with the custody
of convicts by the laws thereof; and that
so much of the seventeenth section OF the
6ftb orticla Of thn Constitution of the State
of Georgia as gives authority to Legislatures
or courts to repudiate debts contracted prior
to the 1st day of June, 1865, and similar
provisions in all other of the Constitutions
mentioned in this bill, shall he null and void
as against all men who were loyal during the
whole time of the rebellion, and who, during
that time, supported the Union. and they
shall have the same rights in the courts and
elsewhere as if no rebellion had ever existed.
Sec 2 11nd be it FURTHER enacted, That 1t
the day fixed for the meeting of the Lcgis-
lafurc of either of said States by the constl-
tuition thereof SHALL have passed before the
passage of this act. such Legislature may he
convened within thirty days after the pas
sage of this act by the president of the con-
vention which framed the constitution of
such State.
Sec. 5. Ind he 1t further enacted, That the
first section of this act shall take effect when
the President Of the United States Shall OIL
ciallv proclaim the due ratification by the
Legislatures of said States respectively of
article fourteen of the amendment OF the
Constitution of the United States proposed
bv the Thirty-ninth Congress; and it is
hereby made the duty of the President,
within ten days after receiving official ratlh-
cation of said amendment by the Legisla-
ture of either of said States, to issue proc
lamation announcing that fact.