Year: 1867

Az ACT to provide for the more efficient gov
ernment of the rebel States.


Whereas no legal State governments ade
quate protection for life or property now exists


in the rebel States of Virginia North Carolina
South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama
Louisiana, Florida, Texas, and Arkansas; and


whereas it is necessary that peace and good order
should be enforced in said States until loyal and
republican State governments can be legally es-
tEblished: Therefore,


BE it enacted By the Senate and House of Represez-


tatiOes Of the United States Of An'erica, IN Congress
assembled That said rebel States shall be divided


into military districts and made subject to the


military authority of the United States herein


after prescribed, and Tor that purpose Virginia


shall constitute the first district; North Carolina
and South Carolina the second district; Georgia,
Alabama, and Florida the third district Missis-
| and Arkansas the fourth district; and Louisiana
| and Texas the fifth district.


SEC. 2. And be 1t further enacted, That IT shall be
| the duty OF the President to assign to the COM


mand of each of said districts an officer of the
| army not below the rank of brigader-general


and to detail sufficient military force to enable
such officer to perform his duties and enforce his
authority within the district to which he is as
| signed


Sec. 3. And be it further enacted. That it shall
be the duty of each officer assigned as aforesaid
to protect all persons in their rights of person
and property, to suppress insuFrection, disorder
and violence, and to punish, or cause to be pun


ished, all dsturbers of the public peace and Grim


inals and to this end he may allow local civil tr-
bunals to take Jurisdiction of and to try often
ders, or, when in his judgmentft may be neces-


sary for the trial of offenders, he shall have pow


er to organize military commissions or tribunals


for that purpose and all interference under color


of State authority with the exercise of military


authority under this act, shall be null and void.


Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That all per-


sons put under military arrest by virtue of this


act shall be tried without unnecessary delay, and


no cruel or unusual punishment shall be intlict-


ed, and no sentence of any military commission


or tribunal hereby authorized, affecting the life


n of mn hall ho fod ,1,f,l


it is approved by the officer in command of the


district, and the laws and regulations for the gov


ernment OF the army shall not be affected by this


act, except in SO far they conflict with its pro-


visions: P'ovided, That no sentence OF death un-


der the provisions of this act shall be carried in


to effect without the approval of the President.


SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That when
the people of any one of said rebel States shall


have formed constitution of government in con-
formity with the Constitution of the United
States in all respects, framed by convention of
State tWenty-one years old and upward, of what
ever race, color, or previous condition, who have
been resident in said State for one year previous
to the day of such election, except such as may
be disfranchised for participation in the rebellion
or for felony at common law, and when such con-
stituton shall provide that the elective franchise
shall be enjoyed by all such persons as have the
qualifications herein stated for electors of dele
gates and when such Constitution shall be rati-
ed by majority of the persons voting on the
question OF ratification who are qutlified elec-
tors for deiegates, and when such Constitution
shall have been submitted to Congress for exam
ination and approval and Congress shall have
approved the same and when said State, by
vote of its legislature elected under said Consti-
tuition, shall have adopted the amendment to the
Constitution of the United States, proposed by
the Thirty Ninth Congress, and known as article
fourteen, and when said article shall have a part
of the Constitution of the United States, said
State shall be declared entitled to representation
in Congress, and Senators and Representatives
shall be admitted therefrom on their taking the
oath prescribed by law, and then and thereafter
the preceding sections of this act shall be inop-
excluded from the privilege of holding office by
sald proposed amendment to the Constitution of
tne United States, shall be eligible to election
a member OF the convention to frame a constitu-
such person vote for members of such conven-
ton.