on　that　question　shall　be　for　a　convention；　then　such　convention
  shall　be　held　as　hereinafter　provided；　but　if　a　majority　of　said
  votes　shall；　be　against　a　convention；　then　no　such　convention　shall
  be　held　under　this　act：　Provided；　That　such　convention　shall　not　be
  held　unless　a　majority　of　all　such　registered　voters　shall　have　voted
  on　the　question　of　holding　such　convention。
  SEC。　　4。　　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；　list　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　if　a
  majority　of　the　votes　given　on　that　question　shall　be　for　a
  convention；　the　commanding　general；　within　sixty　days　from　the　date
  of　election；　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　proceed　to　frame　a　constitution　and
  civil　government　according　to　the　provisions　of　this　act；　and　the　act
  to　which　it　is　supplementary；　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。　　5。　　And　be　it　further　enacted；　That　if；　according　to　said
  returns；　the　constitution　shall　be　ratified　by　a　majority　of　the
  votes　of　the　registered　electors　qualified　as　herein　specified；　cast
  at　said　election；　at　least　one…half　of　all　the　registered　voters
  voting　upon　the　question　of　such　ratification；　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　it　shall　moreover　appear
  to　Congress　that　the　election　was　one　at　which　all　the　registered　and
  qualified　electors　in　the　State　had　an　opportunity　to　vote　freely；
  and　without　restraint；　fear；　or　the　influence　of　fraud；　and　if　the
  Congress　shall　be　satisfied　that　such　constitution　meets　the　approval
  of　a　majority　of　all　the　qualified　electors　in　the　State；　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；　and
  the　other　provisions　of　said　act　shall　have　been　complied　with；　and
  the　said　constitution　shall　be　approved　by　Congress；　the　State　shall
  be　declared　entitled　to　representation；　and　senators　and
  representatives　shall　be　admitted　therefrom　as　therein　provided。
  SEC。　　6。　　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　second；　eighteen　hundred　and　sixty…two；
  entitled　〃An　act　to　prescribe　an　oath　of　office〃：　Provided；　That　if
  any　person　shall　knowingly　and　falsely　take　and　subscribe　any　oath　in
  this　act　prescribed；　such　person　so　offending　and　being　thereof　duly
  convicted；　shall　be　subject　to　the　pains；　penalties；　and　disabilities
  which　by　law　are　provided　for　the　punishment　of　the　crime　of　wilful
  and　corrupt　perjury。
  SEC。　7。　And　be　if　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。　8。　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。　9。　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。〃
  SCHUYLER　COLFAX；
  Speaker　of　the　House　of　Representatives。
  B。　F。　WADE；
  President　of　the　Senate　pro　tempore。
  CHAPTER　X1。
  PASSAGE　OF　THE　RECONSTRUCTION　ACT　OVER　THE　PRESIDENT'S　VETOPLACED
  IN　COMMAND　OF　THE　FIFTH　MILITARY　DISTRICTREMOVING　OFFICERSMY
  REASONS　FOR　SUCH　ACTIONAFFAIRS　IN　LOUISIANA　AND　TEXASREMOVAL　OF
  GOVERNOR　WELLSREVISION　OF　THE　JURY　LISTSRELIEVED　FROM　THE　COMMAND
  OF　THE　FIFTH　MILITARY　DISTRICT。
  The　first　of　the　Reconstruction　laws　was　passed　March　2；　1867；　and
  though　vetoed　by　the　President；　such　was　the　unanimity　of　loyal
  sentiment　and　the　urgency　demanding　the　measure；　that　the　bill　became
  a　law　over　the　veto　the　day　the　President　returned　it　to　Congress。
  March　the　11th　this　law　was　published　in　General　Orders　No　。　10；　from
  the　Headquarters　of　the　Army；　the　same　order　assigning　certain
  officers　to　take　charge　of　the　five　military　districts　into　which　the
  States　lately　in　rebellion　were　subdivided；　I　being　announced　as　the
  commander　of　the　Fifth　Military　District；　which　embraced　Louisiana
  and　Texas；　a　territory　that　had　formed　the　main　portion　of　my　command
  since　the　close　of　the　war。
  Between　the　date　of　the　Act　and　that　of　my　assignment；　the　Louisiana
  Legislature；　then　in　special　session；　had　rejected　a　proposed　repeal
  of　an　Act　it　had　previously　passed　providing　for　an　election　of
  certain　municipal　officers　in　New　Orleans。　　This　election　was　set　for
  March　11；　but　the　mayor　and　the　chief　of　police；　together　with
  General　Mower；　commanding　the　troops　in　the　city；　having　expressed　to
  me　personally　their　fears　that　the　public　peace　would　be　disturbed　by
  the　election；　I；　in　this　emergency；　though　not　yet　assigned　to　the
  district；　assuming　the　authority　which　the　Act　conferred　on　district
  commanders；　declared　that　the　election　should　not　take　place；　that　no
  polls　should　be　opened　on　the　day　fixed；　and　that　the　whole　matter
  would　stand　postponed　till　the　district　commander　should　be
  appointed；　or　special　instructions　be　had。　　This；　my　first　official
  act　under　the　Reconstruction　laws；　was　rendered　necessary　by　the
  course　of　a　body　of　obstructionists；　who　had　already　begun　to　give
  unequivocal　indications　of　their　intention　to　ignore　the　laws　of
  Congress。
  A　copy　of　the　order　embodying　the　Reconstruction　law；　together　with
  my　assignment；　having　reached　me　a　few　days　after；　I　regularly
  assumed　control　of　the　Fifth　Military　District　on　March　19；　by　an
  order　wherein　I　declared　the　State　and　municipal　governments　of　the
  district　to　be　provisional　only；　and；　under　the　provisions　of　the
  sixth　section　of　the　Act；　subject　to　be　controlled；　modified；
  superseded；　or　abolished。　　I　also　announced　that　no　removals　from
  office　would　be　made　unless　the　incumbents　failed　to　carry　out　the
  provisions　of　the　law　or　impeded　reorganization；　or　unless　willful
  delays　should　necessitate　a　change；　and　added：　〃Pending　the
  reorganization；　it　is；　desirable　and　intended　to　create　as　little
  disturbance　in　the　machinery　of　the　various　branches　of　the
  provisional　governments　as　possible；　consistent　with　the　law　of
  Congress　and　its　successful　execution；　but　this　condition　is
  dependent　upon　the　disposition　shown　by　the　people；　and　upon　the
  length　of　time　required　for　reorganization。〃
  Under　these　limitations　Louisiana　and　Texas　retained　their　former
  designations　as　military　districts；　the　officers　in　command
  exercising　their　military　powers　as　heretofore。　　In　addition；　these
  officers　were　to　carry　out　in　their　respective　commands　all
  provisions　of　the　law　except　those　specially　requiring　the　action　of
  the　district　commander；　and　in　cases　of　removals　from　and　appointment
  to　office。
  In　the　course　of　legislation　the　first　Reconstruction　act；　as　I　have
  heretofore　noted；　had　been　vetoed。　　On　the　very　day　of　the　veto；
  however；　despite　the　President's　adverse　action；　it　passed　each　House
  of　Congress　by　such　an　overwhelming　ma