American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-04-03
me ILlS5lSs!pp, hii!.

IAs mississippi hil'
The Congressional Globe Of March
18th confirms the very able speech
of Hon. j., II. Beck of. ky, on the
Paine Mississippi Bill, as reported |
back 20 the House with amendments
by Nr. Butler; from the Reconstruc-
ton Committee. As late events in
dictate the passage OF the bill at no
distant day, we lay IA synopsis of it |
before our readers, which we find in |
the Meridian Gazette. When the /
bill shall have passed, VIC will pub
lish it entire.
'Fifc fn'St Section provides for the :
re-assemSiing of the" Constitutional
Convention of the State. forthwith.
by its President, and in case of his
failure to,.do so within thirty days,
by the Commander of the Fourth
Military District. The Convention
II StilllloIIItd W NA'INiHp liN lOh'N-
ing general powers. in addition to
the powers now authorized by law.
To appoint a provisional governor;
to authorize the provisional govern
or of the State to remave and APP
point registrars and iitlges0of elec.
tons under acts Of Congress, who
shall not be voted foI at elections
within their owTprecincts; to sub
NIT to the people of the State the
constitution heretofore framed by
..he cenven len, eitbrr'with or with
out amendments ITO provide by or
dinancc that the votes for antfagain>t
the constitution, audfor aud against
the clauses thereof submit ted by
this act to Il separate vote, together
with the votes cast for and against
all Stat" and local Officers voted for
under the constitution, -slfall''be for
wardch to the provisional governor
by the judges Of election and shall
be counted in the presence of the
provisional governor, the general
commanding the military district OF
Mississippi, and such committee as
the conveutiOn may appoint for that
purpose mid it shall be the duty OF
thG1rrOviSionall governor, command
ing general, subcommittee TO make
proclamation of Tie result OF such
elections. The cohyuhsfon shall not
continue in -iSesSi0n fer mere than
sixty days. rThe districts 'unrepre-
scented from .ia1yr c;iuSe In the con.
vcntion at tire time Of its adjourn
ment shall at Oroe proceed to elect
duly qualified persons to take seats
in tie convention. The"election Of
such delegates shall be held under
the diret ton of the commanding
general III accordance with the pro-
visions of the act of Congress, ap-
proved March ,, 1867.
The second, third, fourth, fifth,
sixth AID seventh sections relate to
preserving the peace, removing and
appointing officers, maintaining the
purity cf the ballot box and rcgulat-
ing elections and to buying and sell
ing treasury warrants, or claims Of
any*oft upon the treasury of the
Stair, or '6T any Ceunty or district,
which is strictly forbidden, and Civ
ing Jurisdiction to the'U. s. Courts
over cases arising under this act.
The eighth section Provides that
/ the poll fax levied in any one year
upon ANY citizen of Mississippi shall
not exceed'Sl 80, and all laws in the
State for the collection of taxes anu
debts shall be uniform.
The ninth and last section pro-
vides that all lands which shallheIe-
iftrr be forfeited and sold FOR non
payment of any tax, iirpost, or as
seSSIhentNhatever in Mississippi, or
under proceeding in bankruptcy, or
by virtue of the Judgment or decree
of any court in Mississippi, shall be
dispGsrI,'bfU;ly by separate subdi-
visions not exceeding Forty acres
each; provided that such portion of
the land shall first be offered for
sale as cah be sold with the least in
Iiury to the remainder.
The amendment reported by the
Committee on Reconstruction was
to insert after the word "days," in
line fo,ty seven of section one, the
following:
"And the constitution proposed
by the conve ltien shall be submit.
ted 70 IL vote 'dr The. people within
sixty day after its adjournment
We 'irtt'e thus given, in as con
densed : form rs possible, the main
features of the bill IN concluding
we know of no better words - us6
than the closing paragraph Of MIR
Beck's speech {:
We "ask nothing for the people
of Mississippi except what has beer
granted to all the other States
Anything else would be farce"