Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-09-11
VOTING WHILE OUT OF THE COUNTRY.

We have recently noticed statement, which we
could hardly credit at first that by the election law
of Pennsylvania the volunteers belonging to that
State, serving in the armies of the United States.
to be allowed to vote in State elections, and of
course in United States elections, although abb
sent from the country. The Philadelphia News
gives the following account of this strange law
By the provisions of election law, the troops from
this State who actual military service on the day OF the
election under requson from the President of the United
States may exercise the right of suffrage at such place
mag be appointed By the commanding officer Of the troops
company to Which they shall respectively belong, fully
if they present at the usual place of election" The
captain commanding officer of each company or troop acts
as judge and the first lieutenant officer second in command
acts inspector for such troop company Within three
days after the election the Judges thereof required to trans
init return thereof through the nearest most oGce-topeher
with the tickets tally lists and lists voters to the protono-
ary Of the county in which such electors would have voted
il not in military service. And also to the command
ing officer of the regiment battalion, who shall make
general return OF the votes OF the companies troops under
his command and shall transmit the through the nearest
post office to the Secretary of the Commonwealth The pro-
honoay of the county to whom such made is to
deliver the return judges of the county copy the eurn
of votes The return judges of the proper re-
CURED to meet on the second Tuesday November after the
election or where two more counties connected the
election the Friday following that day, and include in
their enumeration the Uotes SO returned. ;"
This anomalous law becomes of importance all
voting at general elections is conferred upon all
citizens permitted in each State to vote in State
elections, and the law might therefore have an i'm
portant effect upon the affairs of the whole nation
As law 1t strikes US as entirely opposed to the
general principles of our system, which makes re-
Sidence essential feature and test of the right of
suffrage. 1t further offends against the universally
OF that right by selecting particular class of alb
sentees 1t would be quite as just and probably
far more practicable to give this privilege, if it be
one, TO our merchant seamen and make masters Of
vessels and supercargoes inspectors and returning
officers of elections
Whether 1t is to be supposed that the law can
survive the test OF comparison with the constitutions
OF Penns yvana and the United States or not it will
probably meet its fate from its impraccability.
Captains and Generals hardly be called upon to
hold elections and count and return votes or to be
able TO decide questions as to the citizenship and
domicIl of their men. Clerks and Prothonotaries
could almost never make up their returns when
they were TO wait for the ballot of one voter from
Monterey, another in the Halls of the Montezumas,
and perhaps half dozen at San Francisco
We have no desire to restrict our army in any of
their real rights. This we conceive 10 be no right
and, as we have limited, to be scarcely privilege
The voters would be called upon if at ALL to decide
questions which they had not had the opportunity
of examining, and to make selections between men
whose claims could not properly be laid before
them.-Bosfon Daily .4dUertiser.