Year: 1868

The following is the Omnibus bill, so.called, as IL
passed the Senate on Wednesday,


AN ACT TO ADMIT THE STATES OF NORTH CARO-


LIMA, SOUTH cARoLINA mouIs,ANA, 81 GEORGIA AND


Whereas the people OF North Carolina, South
Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama and Florida
titled "An act for the more efficient gov.
ernment Of the rebel states" passed March
framed constitutions OF State government,
which are republican and have adopted said con-
stitutons by large maores OF the votes cast et tne
same; therefore, be 1t enacted that each OF the states
OF North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana,
Georgia, Alabama and Florida shall be en-.
titled and admitted to representation In Congress
as State Of the Union when the Legislature OF
such State shall have duly ratified the amendment
to the constitution or the United States, proposed
by the aThirty ninth Congress and known as article
tions:That the constitution Of neither Of said States
shall ever be SO amended or changed as 10 deprive
any citizen or class OF citizens OF the United States
OF the right to vote in said State who are entitled
to vote by the constitution thereof herein recog-
nized, except as punishment for such crimes as
are now feonies at common law, whereof they shall
have been duly convicted under laws equally app


cable to all the inhabitants OF said State; provided
that any alteration of said constitutions, pros
pective 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
admitted to representation upon this further funda-
mental cOndition-that the first and third sub-divis


ions Of section seventeen of the fifth article Of the
constitution OF said State except the prOvsO to the


first subdivision shall be null aud void, that the
General Assembly of said State. by solemn public
act shall declare the assent OF the State to the
foregoing fundamental condition.


SEC. 2 That II the day fixed for the first meeting
Of the Legislature Of either OF said States by the
constitution ordinance thereof shall have passed
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
at the end Of twenty days from the time this
act takes effect unless the Governor elect shall
sooner convene the same.


SEC g. That the first section Of this act shall take
effect as to each State except Georgia, when such
State shall, by its Legislature, duly ratify article
fourteen of the amendment to the constitution OF the
United States proposed by the Thirty ninth Congress-
and as the State of Georgia, when 1t SHALL in add
tOn give the of said State to the fundamental
condition hereinbefore imposed upon the same and
thereupOn the officers Of each state duly elected ana
qualified under the constitution thereof shall be in
augurated without delay, but no person prohibited
from holding Office under the United States or under
any State by section three Of the proposed amend
to the constitution OF the United States known
article fourteen shall be deemed eligible to any
office in either Of said States unles relieved from dis
ability as provided in said amendment; and 1t Ii
hereby made the duty Of the President, within ten
days after receiving ofcial information Of the ratif


cation Of said amendment by the Legislature either
Of said States, to issue proclamation announcing
| that fact.