The bill became law on December 22, 1869.[204] Congress thus decided at last to adopt the opinion of the Senate judiciary committee, that Georgia had not become a state through the Omnibus Act. General Meade, in declaring the contrary, had been mistaken. Bullock, in calling himself governor, had been mistaken. The House of Representatives, in admitting members sent from Georgia, had been mistaken; they were _de facto_ members, but had no legal right there.[205] The legal basis of the act of December 22 was then the same as that of the original Reconstruction Acts. The question which had been raised in the debates on these acts--What legal effect could the action of a body not the legislature of a state have on the adoption of an amendment to the constitution?--was raised again here. Some of the Republicans argued that such action could have no effect and should not be required.[206] Under these circumstances there was a more earnest effort than any heretofore made to defend such a requirement. It was answered: True, the body which will ratify the amendment in Georgia will not be a state legislature at the time; but it will later become a state legislature, and then by relation the ratification will be imputed to the state legislature and will thus have legal effect. Relation, an operation known to private law, had been applied to constitutional law in several previous cases, in order to give to acts done by the legislatures of territories the same effect as if they had been done after statehood was obtained.[207] The ratification by Georgia would be valid by relation.[208] CHAPTER VIII THE EXECUTION OF THE ACT OF DECEMBER 22, 1869, AND THE FINAL RESTORATION Before relating the manner in which the act of December 22, 1869 (which we shall call the Reorganization Act), was executed, we must mention its provisions in more detail than we did in the last chapter. It first "authorized and directed" the governor by proclamation to summon "forthwith" all persons elected to the legislature in April, 1868, according to Meade's announcement of the result of the election then held,[209] to meet in special session "on some day certain." The act continued: and thereupon the said general assembly shall proceed to perfect its organization in conformity with the Constitution and laws of the United States, according to the provisions of this act.