Year: 1868

soM.Il WHEREAS. the people OF North-Carolina,
sou n, Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama
ana FLORIDA have, in pursuance of the provis-
ions ions OF an act entitled "An act for the more
e1hcient government of the rebel States" pass
Gu March second eighteen hundred and sixty
seven, and the acts supplementary thereto,
maeu ro constitutions of State government which
are republican, and have adopted such constitu-
tions by large majorties of the votes cast at the
clectlons held for the ratification rejection OF
the same; therefore,


=, Be Is"acted, d;c., That each of the States of
North Carolina South Carolina, louisiana,
Georgia, Alabama, and Florida shall be entitled
and admitted to representation in Congress as
State of the Union when the Legislature OF such
State snail have duly ratified the amendment to
the Constitution # the United States proposed
by the Thirty Ninth Congress, and known as
article fourteen, upon the following fundamen-
tai conditions: That the constitutions ofneither
of said States shall ever be so amended
or changed us to deprive any citizen
citizens of the United States of the right to
constitution thereof herein recognized. except aS
Il punishment for such crimes now felOnes
at common law, whereof they shall have been
duly convicted under laws equally applicable to
all the Inhabitants of said State; ProOided That
any alteration of said constitutions, prospective
in its effect, may be made with regard to the
time and place of residence of voters; and the
State OF Georgia shall only be entitled and ad
mitted to representation upon this further
fundamc ntal condition: that the first and third
sub divisions of section seventeen of the fifth
article of the constitution of said State, except
the proviso to the first subdivision, shall be null
and void, and that the General Assembly of said
State by solemn public act, shall declare the as
sent OF the State to the foregoing fundamental
condition.


SEC. 2. That if the day fixed for the first meet
ing of the Legislature of either OF said States,
by the Constitution or Ordinance thereof, shall
have passed. or have so nearly arrived before the
passage of this act, that there shall not be time
for the Legislature to assemble at the period
fixed, such Legislature shall convene at the end
OF twenty days from the time this act takes effect,
unless the Governor elect shall sooner convene
the same.


SEC. 3. That the first section of this act shall
take effect to each State, except Georgia, when
such State shall, by its Legislature, duly ratify
article fourteen of the amendments to the Con
sttution Of the Cnited States proposed by the
39th Congress, and to the State of Georgia,
when it shall, in addition, give tue assent said
State to the fundamental condition hcrcinbcfore
imposed upon the same; and thcreupOn the Off
GERS of each State, duly elected and qualified un
der the constitution thereof, shall be Inaugural
ted without delay; but no person prohibited
from holding office under any State by section
three of the proposed amendment to tie Consti-
tuition of the United States known article
fourteen, shall be deemed eligible to any office in
either of said States unless relieved from disa-
bility provided in said amendment. And it is
hereby made the duty of the President within
ten days after receiving official information of
the ratification of said amendment by the Legis-
lature of said States to issue proclamation an
nOuncing that fact.