A Bill

Supplementary to an act entitled “An act to provide for the more efficient government of the rebel States,” passed March 2, 1867, and to facilitate restoration.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That before the 1st day of September, 1867, the commanding general in each district defined by an act entitled “An act to provide for the more efficient government of the rebel States,” passed March 2, 1867, shall cause a registration to be made of the male citizens of the United States, twenty-one years of age and upward, resident in each county or parish in the State or States included in his district, which registration shall include only those persons who are qualified to vote for delegates by the act aforesaid, and who shall have taken and subscribed the following oath or affirmation: “I, __ , of __ , in the county or parish of __ , in the State of __, do hereby solemnly swear (or affirm) that I am not excluded from the right to vote by the fifth and sixth sections of said act to provide for the more efficient government of the rebel States; that I will support the Constitution and obey the laws of the United States, and that I will, to the best of my ability, encourage all others to do the same, so help me God;” which oath or affirmation may be administered by any registering officer.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That after the completion of the registration hereby provided for in any State, at such time and places therein as the commanding general shall appoint and direct, of which at least thirty days’ public notice shall be given, an election shall be held of delegates to a convention for the purpose of establishing a constitution and civil government for such State loyal to the Union, said convention in each State, except Virginia, to consist of the same number of members as the most numerous branch of the State Legislature of such State in the year 1860, to be apportioned among the several districts, counties, or parishes of such State by the commanding general, giving to each representation in the ratio of voters registered as aforesaid as nearly as may be. The convention in Virginia shall consist of the same number of members as represented the territory now constituting Virginia in the most numerous branch of the Legislature of said State in the year 1860, to be apportioned as aforesaid.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the commanding general of each district shall appoint as many boards of registration as may be necessary, consisting of three loyal officers or persons, to make and complete the registration, superintend the election, and make return to him of the votes, lists of voters, and of the persons elected as delegates by a plurality of the votes cast at said election; and upon receiving said returns he shall open the same, ascertain the persons elected as delegates according to the returns of the officers who conducted said election, and make proclamation thereof, and within sixty days from the date of election he shall notify the delegates to assemble in convention at a time and place to be mentioned in the notification, and said convention, when organized, shall first determine by a vote whether it is the wish of the people of such State to frame a constitution and civil government according to the provisions of this act and the act to which it is supplementary, and if so, shall proceed to frame such constitution; and when the same shall have been so framed, said constitution shall be submitted by the convention for ratification to the persons registered under the provisions of this act at an election to be conducted by the officers or persons appointed, or to be appointed, by the commanding general, as hereinbefore provided, and to be held after the expiration of thirty days from the date of notice thereof, to be given by said convention; and the returns thereof, shall be made to the commanding general of the district.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That if, according to said returns, the constitution shall be ratified by a majority of the votes of the electors qualified as herein specified, the president of the convention shall transmit a copy of the same, duly certified, to the President of the United States, who shall forthwith transmit the same to Congress, if then in session, and if not in session, then immediately upon its next assembling; and if the said constitution shall be declared by Congress to be in conformity with the provisions of the act to which this is supplementary, the State shall be declared entitled to representation, and Senators and Representatives shall be admitted therefrom as therein provided.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That all elections in the States mentioned in the said act to provide for the more efficient government of the rebel States, shall, during the operation of said act, be by ballot; and all officers making the said registration of voters and conducting said elections shall, before entering upon the discharge of their duties, take and subscribe the oath prescribed by the act approved July 2, 1862, entitled “An act to prescribe an oath of office.”

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted. That all expenses incurred by the several commanding generals, or by virtue of any orders issued, or appointments made, by them, under or by virtue of this act, shall be paid out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated.

SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That the convention for each State shall prescribe the fees, salary, and compensation to be paid to all delegates and other officers and agents herein authorized or necessary to carry into effect the purposes of this act not herein otherwise provided for, and shall provide for the levy and collection of such taxes on the property in such State as may be necessary to pay the same.

SEC. 8. And be it further enacted. That the word article, in the sixth section of the act to which this is supplementary, shall be construed to mean section.