The result was a majority of 17,699 for ratification, and the election of Rufus B. Bullock, republican, by 7,047 majority over John B. Gordon, democrat. The legislature consisted of 22 republicans and 22 democrats in the senate, and 73 republicans and 102 democrats in the house; 3 senators and 25 representatives were colored. On June 25 an act of congress was passed providing for the readmission of Georgia, with other states, upon the ratification by the legislature of the 14th amendment to the constitution of the United States, and the abrogation of certain provisions of the state constitution prohibiting suits on debts contracted prior to June 1, 1865. The legislature organized on July 4, and on the 21st complied with the prescribed conditions by a vote of 24 to 14 in the senate and 89 to 70 in the house, and on the following day Gov. Bullock was inaugurated. On the 29th United States senators were elected, and on the 30th the government of the state was turned over to the civil authorities. The congressional representatives had been admitted to seats on the 25th, but the senators were still excluded.

In September the colored members of the legislature were expelled, and the candidates having the next highest number of votes in the respective districts seated in their places, on the ground that by the code and the laws existing at the adoption of the constitution, which were continued in force by one of its provisions, negroes were ineligible to office. This action was regarded by the majority at Washington as a violation of the reconstruction acts and of the conditions upon which the state had been admitted; and on the organization of the 41st congress, March 4, 1869, the representatives from Georgia were not permitted to take their seats. Subsequently the supreme court of the state decided that negroes were entitled to hold office, and on Dec. 22 congress passed an act directing the governor by proclamation to convene at Atlanta all persons declared by the order of Gen. Meade (who had succeeded Gen. Pope in December, 1867) of June 25, 1868, to be elected to the legislature, who were required to take the test oath prescribed by the act as a condition precedent to organization, and to ratify the 15th amendment to the constitution of the United States, to entitle the state to representation in congress.

By an order of Dec. 24 Major Gen. Terry was placed in command of the troops to carry the act into effect. The legislature met, Jan. 10, 1870, in pursuance of a proclamation of Gov. Bullock, and adjourned from time to time until the 20th of that month, when a commission appointed by Gen. Terry to determine the eligibility of certain members reported against 21 as ineligible under the 14th amendment, or for refusing to take the test oath, and the candidates having the next highest number of votes in the respective districts were seated in their places. Both houses were declared duly organized on the 31st, and on Feb. 2 the loth amendment was ratified by a vote of 26 to 10 in the senate and 55 to 29 in the house. The conditions prescribed in the reconstruction acts of 1867 were also assented to, and subsequently United States senators were elected. On July 15 an act for the readmission of the state received the approval of the president. An election for congressmen was held Nov. 20-22, and they, together with the senators elected in 1868, having been admitted to congress in the following December, the reconstruction of the state became complete.