Year: 1867

! Whereas, No legal State Gov
ernmcpt or adequate protection
for life or property now exist in
the rebel States Of Virginia, North
Carolina: South Carolina, Georgia,
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana,
Florida, Texas and Arkansas and
, whereas it is necessary that peace
and good order should be enforced
in said States until loyal and Re-
publican State Governments can
be legally established; therefore,
Be it enacted, &c., That said rebel
State shall be divided into military
districts, aud made subject to the
military authority Of the United
States, as hereinafter prescribed,
and for that purpose, Virginia shall
constitute the first district; North
Carolina and South Carolina the
second district; Georgia, Alabama
and Florida the third district; Mis-
sissippi and Arkansas the fourth
district, and Louisiana and Texas
the fifth district.
SEC. 2. That if shall be the duty
Of the President to assign to the
command Of each Of said districts
an officer Of the army not below
the rank Of Brigadier-G General, and
to detail a sufficient military force
to enable such officer to perform
his duties and enforce his authori-
ty within the district to which he
is assigned.


Sec. 3. That it shall be the du-
ty of each officer assigned as afore-
said to protect all persons in their
rights Of person and property, to
suppress insurrection, disorder and
violence, and to punish or cause to
be punished all disturbers Of the
public peace, and criminals; and
to this end hemay allow local civil
tribunals to take Jurisdiction of
and try offenders, OF when in his
Judgment it may be necessary for
the trial Of offenders, he shall have
power to organize military COM
missions or tribunals for that
purpose, and all interference, un-
der color Of State authority, under
this Act, shall be null and void.


SEC. 4. That all persons put un-
der military arrest by virtue Of
this Act shall be tried without un-
necessary delay, and no cruel or
unusual punishment shall be in
ficted, and no sentence of any
military commission or tribunal
hereby authorized, affecting the
life or liberty Of any person, shall
be executed until it is approved
by the officer in command of the
district and the laws and regula-
tions for the government Of the
army shall not be affected by this
Act, except in so far as they may
conflict with it's provisions.


SEC. 5. That when the people
of any of said rebel States shall
have formed constitution Of gov
ernment in conformity with the
Constitution Of the United States,
in all respects, framed by a conven-
ton of delegates elected by the
male citizens Of said State, twenty
one years old and upwards, Of
whatever 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 constitution shall pro-
vide that the elective franchise
shall be enjoyed by all such per
sons as have the qualification


herein stated for election Of dele


gates; and when such constitu-
ton shall be ratified by a majority


of the persons voting on the ques-
ton ratification who are quail
fed as electors for delegates, and
when such constitution shall have
been submitted to Congress for
examination and approval, and
CONGRESS shall have approved the
same: and when said State, by a
vote of it's Legislature elected


under said constitution, shall have


adopted the amendment to the


Constitution of the United States


proposed by the Thirty-ninth Con-