Year: 1867

and will become law unless vetoed by the
President. An article will be found on our
second page showing up the enormity of
this bill, which hands over the liberty of
the citizens of ten States to the keeping of
the military:


AN ACT for the more efficient government


of the rebel states;


Whereas, No legal state government or
adequate protection for life or property now
exists in the rebel statesyf Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Ala
bama, Louisiana, Florida, Texas and Ar
kansas and


Whereas, 1t is necessary that peace and
good order should be enforced in said states
until loyal and republican state governments
can be established !; therefore,


BE 1T enacted, etc, That said rebel states
shall be divided into military districts, and
made subject to the military authority of the
United States, as hereinafter prescribed
and for that purpose Virginia shall consti-
tute the first district; North Carolina and
South Carolina the second district Geor-
gia, Alabama and Florida the third district
Mississippi and Arkansas the fourth dis
trict: Louisiana and Texas the fifth
district.


Sec. 2. That it 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 brieadier general, and to
detail sufficient military force to enable
such officer to perform his duties anu en-
force his authority within the district to
which he is assigned.


Sec. 8. That it shall be the duty of each
officer assigned, as aforesaid, to protect all
persons in their rights of person and prop
erty; to suppress instruction, disorder and
violence, and to punish, and cause to be
punished, all disturbers of the public peace
and criminals; and to this end he may al
low loyal civil tribunals to take jurisdiction
of and try offenders or when, in his judg-
ment it may necessary for the trial ct often
ders, he shall have power to organize mill
tary commissions or tribunals for that pur-
pose, and all interference under color OF
state authority under this act shall be null
and void


Sec..4. That all persons put under mill
tary arrest by virtue of this act shall be
tried without unnecessary delay, and no
cruel or unusual punishment shall be in
hicted, 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 regulations for the government OF
the army shall not be affected by this act,
except so far as they may conflict with Its
provisions.


Sec. 5. That when the people of any of
said rebel states shall have formed a constr
tutional government, in conformity with
the constitution of the United States IN all
respects, framed by convention OF dele
gates elected by the persons who may vote
upon the ratification or rejection thereof, as
hereinafter provided, and when said constr
tuition, so framed, shall have been ratified
by majority Of the male citizens OF SAID
state, twenty -one years old and upward, OF
whatever race, color or previous condition
of servitude, who may have been resident OF
said state previous to the day OF voting on
the question of ratifying such constitution,
except such as may be disfranchlsed Tor
participating in the rebellion: or for felony
at common law; and when such constitution
shall provide that the elective franchise
shall be enjoyed by all such persons that
have the qualifications herein stated, and
shall have been submitted to congress for
examination, and congress shall have
approved the same and when said state,
by vote OF its legislature elected under
said constitution, shall have adopted the
amendment to the constitution OF the Uni
ted States, proposed by the 39th congress,
and known as article fourteen, aud when
said article shall become part OF the con-
stitution Of the United States, such state
shall be declared entitled to representation
in congress, and senators and representa-
tives shall be admitted thereupon, on their
taking the oath prescribed by the law; and
then and thereafter the preceding sections
of this bill shall be imperative in said state.


Sec. 6 proposed by Mr.. Doolittle), pro-
vides that the penalty of death shall not be
inflicted by the military power without the
approval of the president.


Sec. 7 tShellabarger S amendment), That
until the people of said rebel states shall
by law, be admitted to representation IN
the congress of the United States, the civil
governments that may exist therein shall
be deemed provisional only, and shall be IN
all respects subject to the paramount au-
thority of the United States, which may at
any time abolish, modify, control and su-
persede the same, and in all elections to any
Office under such prosi sional governments
all persons shall be entitled to vote, and
none others, who are entitled to vote under
provisions of the fifth section Of this act,
and no person shall be eligible to any office
under such provisional governments who
would be disqualified from holding office
under the provisions of the third article OF
the constitutional amendment.


The following is the third section of the
pending constitutional amendment, which
is made part of the above bill:


Sec. 5. No person shall be senator,
representative in congress, eector of presi-
dent and vice president, or bold any Office,
civil or military, under the United States,
or under any state, who, having previously
taken an oath as member Of congress, o,
as an officer of the United States, or as a
member of any state legislature, or as an
executive or judicial officer of any state, te
support the constitution. OF the United
States, shall have engaged in insurrectior
or rebellion against the same, or given aid
on comfort to the enemies thereof; but con
gress may, by vote Of two thirds of each
house, remove such disability.


nG- The Georgia Senate has passed a


L e 4 L.