, 1861-01-31
REGISTRY LAW.

journals Of both political parties in
Illinois that Registry Law, for
the prevention Of Illegal voting, should
be enacted BY the Legislature ut its
present session. The Democratic organs
affect to believe that the election in No
vcmber was carried against them by frau
dulent means. We deny it in Lotto, but we
desire the enactment Of Z Registry Law,
because it Is cninently fair to all parties,
aud because it is measure Of justice due
to MI Iona .Jidk citizens-a measure which
cannot be objected to by any person who
desires honest voting, and who prefers the
rule oftie majority, legally obtainel, rather
than the rule Of the minority accomplished
through ia!sc swearing, fraudulent uaturai-
cation, importation, and other swindling
We print elsewhere bill now before the
Legislature, to provide for registration Of
voters preceding every general or special
election The first section sets forth the
objects sought to be accomplished by the
bill, to-wit: Registration or Identification.
Every person who votes after the law goes
IN force must have been registered before
haad, or be identified and proved to be q
legal vo:cr, at the polls, by the testimony
OF two persons who hare been registered
The twenty eighth section Of the bill pro-
vides thatthe person voting must have been
a resident of the town or precinct in which
he offers to vote, for sirty days. These two
provisions arc tho essential features of the
bill; and before going into the details Of
the measure, we will notice the Constitn-
tlonal questions which may arise. Article
VI, Sec. i, the Constitution defines the
qualifications Of voters in: tie following
words: "
. In Ill elections, every white rnalo citizen above
the age Of twenty ycars. having resided in the
Gsato one ycar next preceding any election, shall
be cadtsed to votc ut sacl election, and every
white male inhah;taot, Of tie age aforesaid, who
1ay be resident Of the State ut tho tine Of tEe
adoption Of this Constitution ebs1l have the right
osvo:ing IL aforesaid but no such citizen OF In
hat.saEt snall be entitled 10 vote except In the
district county In which he ahau actually reside
At the timc Of snch election,
twill be perceived that willie the Con-
st:tution declares the right Of every white
male citizen to vote who las resided in the
State one year, and who is IN actual resi-
don't OF the district or county in which he
olIers to vote, the method Of ascertaiuing
the fact Of residence one year in the State
and OF defining what shall constitute 8
residence in the district or county, Is left to
be fixed bJ some other competent au-
thosity. The present election law author
ICES the challenging Of voters and. pre-
.scribcs the form Of an oath to be admins
tered to the party challenged. It also gives
certain discretionary powers to tho judges
Of election to reject votes which they may
deem Illegal. If these provisions arc con-
stitu.;ona} it is difficult to sec why add
tional means Of azcerta:ning who arc vo-
ters and who arc not may not also be con-
stitutional Ttha Legislature may author
ize any vote to bs rejected which is not
sworn ir, "a proceeding not known to the
Const;tution,)it may obviously authorize
the rejection Of any vote which Is not
shown to be legal by registration or identi-
fcat;o1. And II, ever though the voter be
aworn, the judges may still refuse the vote
on Satisfactory evidence that the oath or
affirmation Is false" it is certainly compe-
tent for the Legislature to establish rules
tos the taking Of satisfactory evidence" )"
This is what is proposed to be done by the
registry law, -'-
We pass now to the details of the bill
before US. It is made the duty of assessors
throughout the State, while discharging
the duties now dcyolving upon them, to
make lists Of tho qualified voters under c1-
isti1g laws In counties which have not
adopted township organization, these lists
must be Gent to tho county clerk. In coun-
ties organized under the township law the
lists mus: be returned to the town clerks,
and IN cities or incorporated towns they
must be returned to the clerks Of the corpo'
=at;ons. The said lists must be accom-.
panied by an affidavit Of the Assessor It
is tho duty Of the CLERKS to reduce the lists
to alphabetical order. This constitutes the
first step towards registration. Tho ncxt
step is the appointment Of boards ofregts
try. In counties not organized under The
township law this duty Is to be performed
by the County Courts. In all other coun
ties the duty dcro1ves upon the Supervisor
Town Clerk and Assessor Of each town
ard in cities or incorporated towns it de