Year: 1867

| adequate DrOtecuOn lot HE or property now
exists to the rebel States of Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina. Georgia Mississip.
! pi, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, aud
Arakansas; 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 established;
Therefore,


Be it enacted by the Senate and the
House Of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled.
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 constitute the first district;
North Carolina and South Carolina the Sec
oud district; Georgia, Alabama and Florida
the third district; Mississippi and Arakansas
the fourth district; and louisiana and Texas
the fifth district.


Section 2. Aud be it further enacted.
That it shall be the duty Of the President 10
assign TO the command of each of said dis
tricts an officer of the army, not below the
rank of bligadier general, and to detail
sufficient military force to enable such Off
Ger to perform his duties and enforce his
authority within the district TO which he is
assigned


Section 8. And be it further enacted,
That it shall be the duty of each officer as
signed as aforesaid to protect all persons in
their rights of person and property, to sup
press insurrection, disorder and violence, and
to punish or cause to be punished all disturbI
ers Of the public peace and criminals, and to
this end he may allow local civil tribunals
to take jurisdiction Of and to try offenders,
or, when in his judgment it may be neces-
sary for the Trial Of offenders, he shall have
power to organize military commissions OF
tribunals for that purpose, and all lnlerter-
ence, under color Of State authority, with
the exercise of military authority under this
act shall be null and void.


Section 4. And be it further enacted,
That all persons put under military arrest
by virtue of this act shall be tried without
unnecessary delay, and no cruel or unusual
punishment ST all be inflicted; and no SEN
tence of any military commission or trlbu'
nal 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 af-
fected by this act, except in SO far as they
conflict with its provisions; Provided, Tba,
no sentence of death, under the provisions
of this act, shall be carried into effect with
out the approval Of the President.


Section 5. And be it further enacted,
That when the people of any one Of said
rebel States shall have formed constitution
6 -, 6. tlo Cn
sttution of the United States in all respects,
framed by convention Of delegates elected
by the male citizens of said State, twenty-one
years old and upward, of whatever race, col
or 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 distranchsed for participation 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 as have the qualifications here
in stated for electors of delegates, and when
such constitution shall he ratified by a ma,
jority of the persons voting on the question
of ratification, who are qualified as electors
for delegates; and when such constitution
shall bave been submitted to Congress for
examination and approval, and Congress
shall have approved the same; and when said
State. by vote of its legislature elected un-
der said constitution, shall have adopted the
amendment TO the Constitution OF the
United States proposed by the Thirty'nlnth
Congress, and known as article fourteen;
and when said article shall have become
part of the Constitution of the United States
said State shall be declared entitled TO re
presentation in Congrers, and Senators and
Representatives shall be admitted therefrom
on their taking the oath prescribed by law;
and then and there after the preceding
sections of this act shall b. inoperatieve in
said State; Provided, That no person exclu'
ded from the privilege Of holding office by
said proposed amendment TO the Constitution
of the United States shall be eligible to cleo
ton as a member of the convention to frame
constitution for any of said rebel States,
nor shall any such person vote for members
of such convention.


Section 6. And be it further enacted
That until the people of said rebel States
shall be by law admitted to representation
in the Congress of the United States, any
civil government which may exist therein
shall be deemed provisional only, and in all
respects subject to the paramount authority
of the United States at any time TO abolish,
modify, control or supercede the same; and
in all elections to any officer under such pro-
visional governments all persons shall be
entitled to vote, and uone Others who are
entitled to vote under the provisions OF the
fifth section of this act; and no person shall
be eligible to any Office under any such pro-
visional governments who would be disquall'
| fed from holding office under the provisions
of the third article Of said constitutional
amendment.


SCHUYLER COLFAX,


Speaker of the House of Representatives.


LA FAYErlE S. FOSTER,


President of the Senate pro tempore.


In THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
March 9. 1867.