Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-02-25

Inc following bill, as amended by the
Committee ON Reconstruction, was report
ed by Mr.. i. f. Butler in the House of
Representatives on Wednesday:
A BILL
FOR THE REMOVAL OF DISABILITIES OF Loyal
CITIZENS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Repre- sentatiyes of the United States of
America In Congress Assembled, That the
political disabilities incurred because of
acts committed during the late rebellion.
accruing under the third section of the
Fourteenth Amendment TO the Constitu
ton of the United States, be and are here
by removed from, and all rights Of citizen
ship are restored to, those citizens of the
United States who shall comply with the
conditions and do the acts hereinafter set
forth, upon receiving the certificate here
matter provided.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That
every citizen of the United States who has
given aid, comfort or assistance to, or held
any Office or place Of trust or profit, either
civil or military, under any government
within the United States, either State or
Confederate, opposed and hostile thereto.
who desires to have his political disabili-
ties because of such acts, or either OF them.
removed, and to be restored to his rights
as citizen, except persons who have held
commissions III the army and navy OF the
United States, or have been members OF
Congress, may apply by petition to court
of the United States in the State or Terri
tory in which lie had his home during the
war of the rebellion, setting forth what OF
flee or place of trust he had ever held I'M
der the United States prior to the fifteenth
day Of April, 1861, which by law required
any oath to be taken to support the Con
stitutiOn of the United States, and also II
what manner he had given aid, comfort or
assistance to the rebellion, or whether 30
had held any office or place OF trust or profit
under State Government or Confed-
crate Government, or either Of them, hos
tile TO the United States during any part
OF the time OF the war Of the rebellion.
giving particular description OF the acis
done and Offices or places held by him, II.
that behalf; and that he therein and there
by renounces all allegiance or fealty to any
supposed government, State or ConfcGer-
ate, heretofore set up against the United
States within the same, and that he truly
intends hereafter to act and conduct him
self as true and loyal citizen Of the Uni.
ted States {; and that he will bear true faith
and allegiance to the United States anG
support the Constitution thereof; and that
he has not since the first day Of June,
eighteen hundred and sixty five, done any
act of hostility to the United States, or
committed any crime by violence against
the laws thereof or the laws Of any State
thereof and that he has not ondeavored,
by force or by fraud, since that time, g.,
interfere with Tie civil rights OF any Cit
zen OF the United States. or 10 prevent tha
freedom Of election OF of speech ; and that
from said day to the present tirno lc hG.
behaved himself rs a man of good mora
character, attached to the Constitution
of the United States, and well
n T~DyY- i
ness of all the citizens thereof; wherefore
the petitioner prays to be restored 20 ms
rights in all that he has lost by his wroug-
fnl acts therein set forth, which petition
being sworn to in open court, the same
shall be filed and notice published by
Clerk of the Court three weeks srccessivcly
in some newspaper III the county wherein
the petitioner resided as aforesaid. or if
no newspaper be published there, then il
a newspaper published at the Capital Of
said State or Territory, stating tho name
of the petitioner, the place OF his residence
and that he has petitioned to be restored
to his rights as q citizen OF tho United
States according to the laws in such case
made and provided, and that Il hearing
will be had thereon before said court on d
day named, not less than thirty days after
the first publication Of the notico,at which
time and place any person may show cause
why such petition should not be granted.
If on the day named in such notice no
person shall appear and object IN court to
the granting of the prayer of the
petitioner, and If the court shall be
satisfied that tho statements SGT forth in
such petition are true, the court shall
issue certificate, under the seal thereof,
signed 10y the Judge, which shall set
forth that all the acts herein required To
be done have been done and performed in
his behalf, and that the Judge believes all
the statements IN said petition to be true,
WhereupOn all political disabilities OF the
petitioner are removed and he is restored
to all his rights of citizenship 10y virtue OF
this act. But if upon the return day oi
said notice any citizen Of the United
States shall appear to object that anything
set forth in said petition IS not true IN facr.
thereupOn al issue shall be framed by tho
court, to be tried before the court, upon
which both parties my be fully heard by
themselves or by their counsel, and pro-
duce such witnesses, whereof the petition
er may be one, or testimony as may be
relevant and competent; and the certi1i-
cate above provided shall not issue unless
said court shall adjudge and determine
that all the facts set forth IN said petition
are true beyond reasonable doubt; ard If
such certificate is refused, the petitioner
shall DE thereupon forever barred from the
relief of his political disabilities save by
special act of Congress. But if said court
shall determine said facts set forth in said
petition are true, then the said certificate
shall issue in the same manner and with
the same effect as if no objection Lad
been made: Provided, always, That any
false swearing in any Of the
proceedings herein provided shall be
perjury, and may, on conviction be-
fore said court be punished IN
the manner provided by law: And pro-
vided, further. That the Judge of said
court shall have power to determine the
fees of the clerk for fling said petition and
the cost of advertising the same, the
making up the record and issuing the GER
tificate, which shall be similar to the cost
of like [certifcates proceedings in civi!
cases. which shall be paid by the appel
liant Provided, however, That whoever
makes objection as provided in section
two which causes an issue Of fact. the