A congressional bill of 1864 pocket vetoed by Lincoln that required 50 percent of southern voters to take an oath of allegiance before readmission to the union?

The congressional bill of 1864, known as the Wade-Davis Bill, aimed to impose strict requirements for Southern states' readmission to the Union after the Civil War. It mandated that 50 percent of white male voters in a state take an oath of allegiance to the Union. President Abraham Lincoln pocket vetoed the bill, choosing not to sign it or formally reject it, which effectively prevented it from becoming law. This action reflected his more lenient approach to Reconstruction compared to the bill's authors, who sought harsher terms for Southern states.