Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-08-04
QualIs.entlon Of voters.


The impression prevails with many persons that
aresdencs Of one year in the State is necessary to
oonstitats legal voter. Such is not the case. A
residence in the county, where the vote may be
offered sir oaths previous to The day Of elseo is all
that is required. The following is the provision Of
the Consultation on this subject:
every free white man. of the age of twsnty-one
years. being q citizen Of the United States and
eltizen OF the county wherein he may offer his vete
SIX months next preceding the day Of election
shall be entitled to vote for members of the Gene
- Assembly, and other civil Ulcers for the county
or district in which he resides"
The same qualifications are REQUESTS in On cleo
ton for Governor or Congressman.
''No person shall vote at sny election in this
State who has been convicted of bribery, or the
oner to bribe Of larceny, or any other offence de-
clared infamous By the laws Of the State unless he
has been resioredto citizenship in the mode pointed
out BY laW."-code, section ss4
The following is the syllabus of the decision Of
the Supreme Court i'as to the length Of residence
required after naturalization, in the case of The
State %. Patrick ClOsksy, aud is the law:
''The words citizen of the county, as used in IL
first section Of the fourth article Of the Constitution
OF the State, means member OF the body polite,
entitled TO exercise the ordinary rights of citizen
ted States, who has resided in any county in this
State six months next preceding any general cleo
ton, IS entitled to vote in said election if he has
attained the age Of tWeuty-one years But per-
son OF foreign birth is citizen until he is nat
urahzed, end he cannot therefore vote in any cleo
uon IN this State, unless he has resided in the
county where be offers 10 vote for for sz months
yter ms naturalization, next preceding such cleo
zion. "-Sneed's Reports voI 8, P. 4S2.
This decision Of the court makes g very material
change in the rule heretofore acted upon in our
elections, and deserves the attention Of all natural
lied citizens whose final papers shall not be six
months old to-day. Such persons will not be en-
titled to vote
Nsturslized fOreigDers offering to vote should
have their naturalization papers with them, but
where such papers have been lost, the Code points
out the course 10 be pursued.
when any person, not Dative-born citizen of
the United States Offers to vOte and his vote is OBJ
jeeted TO, be shall produce certified copy OF his
naturalization, if the same is IN bis possession,
showing that he has been declared, by a competent
court citizen of the United STATES
{" If such a copy of his naturalization is not in
his possession, he may be examined touching it
and if the judges should be satisfied, from his ex-
animation, and other oral testimony il any is offer-
ed, thst be is naturalized, they shall receive his
vote,
In like manner the party Offering to vote may
be examined as to his naturalization, when he pro-
duces a copy of the record Of his naturalization,
and il is objected TO on account of authenticson
Code sections S5e, S57 and S5s.