President　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　cover　of　State　authority；
  with　the　exercise　of　military　authority　under　this　act；　shall　be　null
  and　void。
  SEC。　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　unjust　punishment　shall　be
  inflicted；　and　no　sentence　of　any　military　commission　or　tribunal
  hereby　authorized　affecting　the　life　or　liberty　of　any　person；　shall
  be　executed　untill　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　in　so　far　as　they　conflict
  with　its　provisions：　Provided；　That　no　sentence　of　death；　under　the
  provisions　of　this　act；　shall　be　carried　into　effect　without　the
  approval　of　the　President。
  SEC。　5。　And　be　it　further　enacted；　That　when　the　people　of　any　one　of
  said　rebel　States　shall　have　formed　a　constitution　of　government　in
  conformity　with　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States　in　all
  respects；　framed　by　a　convention　of　delegates　elected　by　the　male
  citizens　of　said　State　twenty…one　years　old　and　upward；　of　whatever
  race；　color；　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　disfranchised　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　herein　stated　for　electors　of　delegates；　and　when
  such　constitution　shall　be　ratified　by　a　majority　of　the　persons
  voting　on　the　question　of　ratification　who　are　qualified　as　electors
  for　delegates；　and　when　such　constitution　shall　have　been　submitted
  to　Congress　for　examination　and　approval；　and　Congress　shall　have
  approved　the　same；　and　when　said　State；　by　a　vote　of　its　legislature
  elected　under　said　constitution；　shall　have　adopted　the　amendment　to
  the　Constitution　of　the　United　States　proposed　by　the　Thirty…ninth
  Congress；　and　known　as　article　fourteen；　and　when　said　article　shall
  have　become　a　part　of　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　said
  State　shall　be　declared　entitled　to　representation　in　Congress；　and
  senators　and　representatives　shall　be　admitted　therefrom　on　their
  taking　the　oath　prescribed　by　law；　and　then　and　thereafter　the
  preceding　sections　of　this　act　shall　be　inoperative　in　said　State：
  Provided；　That　no　person　excluded　from　the　privilege　of　holding
  office　by　said　proposed　amendment　to　the　Constitution　of　the　United
  States　shall　be　eligible　to　election　as　a　member　of　the　convention　to
  frame　a　constitution　for　any　of　said　rebel　States；　nor　shall　any　such
  person　vote　for　members　of　such　convention。
  SEC。　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　supersede　the　same；　and　in　all　elections
  to　any　office　under　such　provisional　governments　all　persons　shall　be
  entitled　to　vote；　and　none　others；　who　are　entitled　to　vote　under　the
  fifth　section　of　this　act；　and　no　person　shall　be　eligible　to　any
  office　under　any　such　provisional　governments　who　would　be
  disqualified　from　holding　office　under　the　provisions　of　the　third
  article　of　said　constitutional　amendment。
  SCHUYLER　COLFAX；
  Speaker　of　the　House　of　Representatives。
  LAFAYETTE　S。　FOSTER；
  President　of　the　Senate　pro　tempore。
  AN　ACT　supplementary　to　an　act　entitled　〃An　act　to　provide　for　the
  more　efficient　government　of　the　rebel　States；〃　passed　March　second；
  eighteen　hundred　and　sixty…seven；　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　first
  day　of　September；　eighteen　hundred　and　sixty…seven；　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　second；　eighteen　hundred　and　sixty…seven；　shall　cause　a
  registration　to　be　made　of　the　male　citizens　of　the　United　States；
  twenty…one　years　of　age　and　upwards；　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；；　do
  solemnly　swear　（or　affirm）；　in　the　presence　of　the　Almighty　God；　that
  I　am　a　citizen　of　the　State　of　…；　that　I　have　resided　in　said
  State　for…　months　next　preceding　this　day；　and　now　reside　in　the
  county　of　…；　or　the　parish　of　；　in　said　State；　（as　the
  case　may　be）；　that　I　am　twenty…one　years　old；　that　I　have　not　been
  disfranchised　for　participation　in　any　rebellion　or　civil　war　against
  the　United　States；　nor　for　felony　committed　against　the　laws　of　any
  State　or　of　the　United　States；　that　I　have　never　been　a　member　of　any
  State　Legislature；　nor　held　any　executive　or　judicial　office　in　any
  State；　and　afterwards　engaged　in　insurrection　or　rebellion　against
  the　United　States；　or　given　aid　or　comfort　to　the　enemies　thereof；
  that　I　have　never　taken　an　oath　as　a　member　of　Congress　of　the　United
  States；　or　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；　to　support　the　constitution　of　the　United　States；　and
  afterwards　engaged　in　insurrection　or　rebellion　against　the　United
  States　or　given　aid　or　comfort　to　the　enemies　thereof；　that　I　will
  faithfully　support　the　Constitution　and　obey　the　laws　of　the　United
  States；　and　will；　to　the　best　of　my　ability；　encourage　others　so　to
  do：　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　eighteen　hundred　and
  sixty；　to　be　apportioned　among　the　several　districts；　counties；　or
  parishes　of　such　State　by　the　commanding　general；　giving　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　eighteen　hundred　and　sixty；　to　be　apportioned　as
  aforesaid。
  SEC。　　3。　And　be　it　further　enacted；　That　at　said　election　the
  registered　voters　of　each　State　shall　vote　for　or　against　a
  convention　to　form　a　constitution　therefor　under　this　act。　　Those
  voting　in　favor　of　such　a　convention　shall　have　written　or　printed　on
  the　ballots　by　which　they　vote　for　delegates；　as　aforesaid；　the　words
  〃For　a　convention；〃　and　those　voting　against　such　a　convention　shall
  have　written　or　printed　on　such　ballot　the　words　〃Against　a
  convention。〃　The　persons　appointed　to　superintend　said　election；　and
  to　make　return　of　the　votes　given　thereat；　as　herein　provided；　shall
  count　and　make　return　of　the　votes　given　for　and　against　a
  convention；　and　the　commanding　general　to　whom　the　same　shall　have
  been　returned　shall　ascertain　and　declare　the　total　vote　in　each
  State　for　and　against　a　convention。　　If　a　majority　of　the　votes　given
  on　that　question　shall　be　for　a　convention；　then　such　convention
  shall　be　held　as　hereinafter　prov