The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-20
WASHINGTON.
THE GEORGLI BILL PASSED BY
THE SENATE.
Synopsis of its Provisions.

After an ail-night session Of ii, the Senate
has decided the Georgia NATTER so far as that
body is concerned. After discussion OF two
hours and quarter on the original bill reported
by the Judiciary Committee after the amendment
requiring the ratification of the Fifteenth amend
ment had been adopted the former was put to q
vote at half-past O'Clock this morning, and car
ried by largely increased majority. The vote,
when called upon the final passage, stood, forty
five to nine against it,
PROVISIONS OF THE BILL.
The bill provides first, thai Immediately upon
the passage Of the act the Governor OF Georgia Is
required to issue his proclamation calling upon
all The persons who were shown to have been
dulJ elected members Of the Legislature by the
proclamation OF General Meade, dated June 25ih,
1865 to assemble together at the Statehouse, IN
Atlanta, on day TO be named by the Governor.
When the members OF the original Legislature
have assembled as prescribed, the greatest care
is to be taken to see that neiigibles get among
the faithful To insure this result two oaths are
required to be taken by the members before they
.wiu be allowed to take their seats in addition to
the one which they will have to take to support
the Constitution OF the State and OF the United
States, and the same, when subscribed, must be
OF these oaths requires the members of the Leg
isIature to swear that they have never held any
United States onice, never been member OF
Congress or member OF any State Legislature
or held any ofice whatever for the adminstra-
tIon OF justice under any State government,
which required them to take an oath to support
the Constitution Of the United States, and AFTER
wards engaged In, or rendered any aid or csm-
fort to, the rebellion-eXcept it was done In con-
sequence and by means OF direct physical force
or accepted and he'd any Office under the govern
ment Of the so-called Confederate States. The
second oath requires the members to swear that
they have been relieved OF their political dsabii
ties by an act OF Congress. Those members who
refuse totake the oath shall be regarded as inel-
gible, and shall not be allowed to take the seats
they claim. Those members ineligible who may
take these oaths falsely are declared to be guilty
OF afelony and shall be indicted and tried for the
offence in the District Court OF the United States"
NEW ORGANIZATION.
After the Legislature has been thoroughly
purged OF all ineligible members, the eligible mem
bersSshall commence the work OF reorganizing
the two Houses by the election OF officers. All the
legislation Of the last Legislature is declared to be
only provisional. To guard against second cX-
pulslon OF the negroes the bill declares that the
= Legislature shall not exclude any members Of
that body on account OF their race or color. In
order that the provisions OF this may be properly
enforced, the President is authorized TO employ
the military forces OF the United States whenever
the Governor OF the State should think It neces-
sary to apply for them. BY virtue of Morton's
amendment the General Assembly is required to
adopt the Fifteenth amendment to the consttu-
tion before the State shall be decided to be in the
Union or it's senators and representatives admit
ted into Congress.
Z 1t is the general impression that the effect OF
this bin will be to vacate all the State olces which
have been filed by men elected or confirmed by
the Legislature, aad that there will have to be
new division of the spols. All the political acts
of the present Legislature are declared to be
swept away.
THE BILL TO BEcoN LAW.
= When the House meets on .onday, Butter VIII
make motion to take up the bill and put it upon
final passage without reference. This motion will
he carried. and then the bill is to be rushed
through the House at quarter-horse speed. But
very little time will be allowed for debate and 10
Democratic members will be allowed to obtain
the moor except those who have not studied up
the facts OF the case and are presumed to know
but little about the matter,
A great deal OF feeling is manifested here at the
indecent haste with which this important meas
ureAas been acted upon by Congress, and es-
peclally at the attempted action in the committee
room this morning. The passage OF the bill In
: the House on Monday, however, Is considered
foregone conclusion. The idea upon which the
extremists are acting is TO get the bill through the
House on Monday, and then carry it to the Presi-
dent and get his signature to it before Congress
adourns for the holidays, which it will do on
wednesday. BY doing this they are enabled to
head or the effects which the anticipated action
Of the Legislature would have had upon Congress
II the matter was to be postponed until after the
recess. -