Quill
  1. Overview: United States Fourteenth Amendment & The Civil Rights Act of 1866
  2. Full Record: United States Fourteenth Amendment & The Civil Rights Act of 1866
  3. Committee:Senate Committee of the Whole
  4. Session: 1867-02-15 12:00:00
  5. Event type: CREATE_FROM

United States Fourteenth Amendment & The Civil Rights Act of 1866

An amendment to the Constitution of the United States that granted citizenship and equal rights, both civil and legal, to Black Americans, including those who had been emancipated by the thirteenth amendment.

Senate Committee of the Whole

The Committee Secretary's View The Committee Secretary's View

To see the full record of a committee, click on the corresponding committee on the map below.

Document introduced in:

Session 8755: 1867-02-15 12:00:00

The Senate consider H. R. 1143, as in Committee of the Whole

Document View:

H. R. 1143

Shown with amendment 'H. R. 1143: Mr. Sherman's Substitute' (e900220)

(Showing state at moment e902201)
There are 5 proposed amendments related to this document on which decisions have not been taken.
Jump to change 1 Jump to change 2 Jump to change 3 Jump to change 4 Jump to change 5 Jump to change 6 Jump to change 7 Jump to change 8 Jump to change 9 Jump to change 10 Jump to change 11 Jump to change 12 Jump to change 13 Jump to change 14 Jump to change 15 Jump to change 16 Jump to change 17 Jump to change 18 Jump to change 19 Jump to change 20 Jump to change 21 Jump to change 22 Jump to change 23 Jump to change 24 Jump to change 25 Jump to change 26 Jump to change 27 Jump to change 28 Jump to change 29 Jump to change 30 Jump to change 31 Jump to change 32 Jump to change 33 Jump to change 34 Jump to change 35 Jump to change 36 Jump to change 37 Jump to change 38 Jump to change 39 Jump to change 40 Jump to change 41 Jump to change 42 Jump to change 43 Jump to change 44 Jump to change 45 Jump to change 46 Jump to change 47 Jump to change 48 Jump to change 49 Jump to change 50 Jump to change 51 Jump to change 52 Jump to change 53 Jump to change 54 Jump to change 55 Jump to change 56 Jump to change 57 Jump to change 58 Jump to change 59 Jump to change 60 Jump to change 61 Jump to change 62 Jump to change 63 Jump to change 64 Jump to change 65 Jump to change 66 Jump to change 67 Jump to change 68 Jump to change 69 Jump to change 70 Jump to change 71 Jump to change 72 Jump to change 73 Jump to change 74 Jump to change 75 Jump to change 76 Jump to change 77 Jump to change 78 Jump to change 79 Jump to change 80 Jump to change 81 Jump to change 82 Jump to change 83 Jump to change 84 Jump to change 85 Jump to change 86 Jump to change 87 Jump to change 88 Jump to change 89 Jump to change 90 Jump to change 91 Jump to change 92 Jump to change 93 Jump to change 94 Jump to change 95 Jump to change 96 Jump to change 97 Jump to change 98 Jump to change 99 Jump to change 100 Jump to change 101 Jump to change 102 Jump to change 103 Jump to change 104 Jump to change 105 Jump to change 106 Jump to change 107 Jump to change 108 Jump to change 109 Jump to change 110 Jump to change 111 Jump to change 112 Jump to change 113 Jump to change 114 Jump to change 115 Jump to change 116 Jump to change 117 Jump to change 118 Jump to change 119 Jump to change 120 Jump to change 121 Jump to change 122 Jump to change 123 Jump to change 124 Jump to change 125 Jump to change 126 Jump to change 127 Jump to change 128 Jump to change 129 Jump to change 130 Jump to change 131 Jump to change 132 Jump to change 133 Jump to change 134 Jump to change 135 Jump to change 136 Jump to change 137 Jump to change 138 Jump to change 139 Jump to change 140 Jump to change 141 Jump to change 142 Jump to change 143 Jump to change 144 Jump to change 145 Jump to change 146 Jump to change 147 Jump to change 148 Jump to change 149 Jump to change 150 Jump to change 151 Jump to change 152 Jump to change 153 Jump to change 154 Jump to change 155 Jump to change 156 Jump to change 157 Jump to change 158 Jump to change 159 Jump to change 160 Jump to change 161 Jump to change 162

A BILL

To provide for the more efficient government of the insurrectionary States.

Whereas the pretended State governments of the late so-called Confederate States of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, and Arkansas were set up without the authority of Congress and without the sanction of the people; and whereas said pretended governments afford no adequate protection for life or property, but countenance and encourage lawlessness and crime; and whereas it is necessary that peace and good order should be enforced in said so-called States, until loyal and republican State governments can be legally established: Therefore,

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That said rebellate so-called Confederate 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 second district; Georgia, Alabama and Florida, the third district; Mississippi and Arkansas the fourth district; and Louisiana and Texas the fifth district.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the President general of the army to assign to the command of each of said districts an officer of the army, not below the rank of brigadier general, and to detail a sufficient military force to enable such officer to perform his duties and enforce his authority within the district to which he is assigned.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of each officer assigned as aforesaid to protect all persons in their rights of person and property, to suppress insurrection, disorder, and violence, and to punish, or cause to be punished, all disturbers 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 necessary for the trial of offenders, he shall have power to organize military commissions or tribunals for that purpose; and all interference under color of State authority with the exercise, anything in the constitution and laws of military authority under this act shthe late so-call be null and void.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That all persConfederate States to the cons put under military arrest by virtue of this act shnotwithstanding; and all be tried without unnecessary delay, and no cruel or unusual punishmlegislative or judicial proceedings or processes to prevent shall be inflicted; and no sentenceor control the proceedings of anysaid military commission or tribunal hereby authorized, affecting the lis, and all interfe orence liberty of any person, shall be executed until it is approved by the officer in command of the district, andsaid pretended State governments with the laws and regulations for thexercise government of milithe army shall not be affected byauthority under this act, except in so far as they conflishall be void and of no effect with its provisions.

SEC. 54. And be it further enacted, That when the peoplecourts and judicial officers of any one of saithe United rebel States shall not issue writs of have formed a constitution of government in cbeas corpus in behalf of persons in military custody, except in cases in which the person is held to answer only formit a crime or crimes exclusively within the Constitutionjurisdiction of the courts of the United States within all respesaid military districts, framed by a convention of delegates eand indictablected by the persons who may vote upon the ratification or rejectiorein, or unless some commissioned officer on duty in thereof as district whereinafter provi the person is detained, shall ind wheorse upon said conspetitution so framed shall have betatement ceratified by a majority of the male citizens of said State twenty-one years old and upwardying, upon honor, that he has knowledge, of whatever race, color, or previous conditioninformation, as to the cause and circumstances of servitude, who have been resident in saithe alleged detention, and Sthate for one year previou he believes to the day of voting on the question of ratifying such constitution, except such as may be disfranchisame to be wrongful; and, further, that he believes that the indorsed for parpeticipation in the rebellion or for felony at common laws preferred in good faith, and when such constitution shall provide thatin furtherance of justice, and not to hinder or delay the elective franchise shall be enjoyed by apunishment of crime. All such persons as have the qualificationput under military arrest by virtue of this herein stacted, and shall have been submitted to Congress for examination and approval, and Congress shall have approved the same, and when said Sta tried without unnecessary delay, and no cruel or unusual punishment shall be inflicted.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, by a voThat no sentence of its legislature elected under said constitution, shany military commission or tribunall have adopted the amendment to the Constitution ofereby authorized, affecting the United States, proposed by the thirty-ninth Congress, and known as article fourlife or liberty of any person, shall be executeen, and when said article shall hauntil it is approved become a part of the Constitutiony the officer in command of the United States, saidistrict, and State shall be declared entitlews and to representgulation in Congress, and senators and representativess for the government of the army shall not be admitffected therefrom on their taking the oath prescribed by law, and then and thereafterby this act, except in so far as the preceding sey conflict wions of this bill shall be inoperative in said State its provisions.

Decisions yet to be taken

Document Timeline

Other Actions

View text build components