Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-03-17

LAW. IALLIAFERRO, Major U. ). a.
We regret to say there was no insurance on the
valuable property above referred to.
EDIroR
AN ACT TO ENABLE SOLDIERS TO VOTE
i AN ACT to enable soldierst to vote at the Borough
and Township Elections in the Counties of Somer.
set, Bedford, Fulton, Indianna, Washington, West
moreand, Jefferson, Cambria, Montgomery, andth
Borough Of York -
SECTION l. Be 1t enacted by The Senate and House
of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Penn
syEraniG ia General assembly met aud Ii is hereby
enacted By the authority of the same That during
the continuance of the present rebellion all qualified
electors of this Commonwealth, who shall be IN any
actual military service under requisition from the
President OF the United States by the authority of
this Commonwealth who if he were at home IN the
counties of Bedford, Somerset Fulton, Indiana JEFF
| ferson, Cambria, Washington, Westmoreland, Mont
gomery and the Borough of York on the day of the
election of officers for said counties and borough and
entitled to vote shall be entitled to vote for all Off
GERS voted for on said day in the manner and form
prescribed in this act.
| Section 2 That such absent elector shall by an
instrument executed by him not more than forty
days previous to any election for Borough and town
ship officers to be held in the counties and Borough
Of York aforesaid authorize and empower any cleo
tor of the said counties and Borough TO cast for him
ship of which such absent elector is voter in the
manner prescribed in this act for all officers for
whom he would have right to vote if he were pres
eRt at such election said instrument should be signed
| by such absent elector attested by subscribing
witness and sworn to before any field officer, captain
adjutant, commandant of any company or detach-
ment detached service of the United States, or
the coamandant of any vessel in the naval service
of the United Staes to which the said absent cleo
tor may belong or be attached and such officers
hereby duly authorized to administer oaths for the
purposes specified in this act, and they shall attach
to their signature their official designation.
SECTION 3. The said absent elector shall make and
subscribe the following affidavit | do solemny
swear Tor affirm that / am a citizen of the United
States, fthe age of twenty one years, that
have been, shall have been an inhabtant of the
Borough and townships Of said counties and Borough
OF ork for one year next, proceeding the election
to be held on the third Friday of March, eighteen
hundred and that | am nav, and until said
election intend to be resident of said Borough or
townships any of said counties or Borough afore
said and do further swear Tor affirm that am in
the actual military Tor naval service of the United
States, that / am member of company of the
regiment describing the organization to which
he belongsl now at OF near in the Tor terri
tory of Tor attached to the United States
vessel and do further appoint and direct
Of said Borough or township, to vote the en-
closed ballot for me, said third Friday of March.
at the place of voting in the Borough or town
ship in or either Of said counties or borough of
York.
Sworn to and subscribed this day of one
thousand eight hundred and before me
SECTION e. The said absent ~leutor in the service
as aforesaid shall prepare and fold the bal
lot ballots he designs to cast at such election and
enclose the same together with the instrument de-
scrbed in the second section of this act in enve
ope duly sealed having the outside thereof either
written or printed, the affidavit described in the
third section of this act, to and subscribed as
therein required The said envelope, prepared as
aforesaid, shall be enclosed by him in another en-
velope marked soldiers vote sealed and directed
to the elector, empowered by the instrument des-
cribed in the section ofths act to cast the ballot of
said absent eector and the said absent elector may
then transmit the same to the person to whom it is
directed by mail or otherwise.
SECTION s. Such elector upon receiving such let
ter from such absent elector may open the outer en-
yelope thereof, but he shall not open the inner
yelope thereof the day of such election, and be-
tween the opening and close of the polls thereof he
shall deliver such inner envelope to the inspectors
of elections of the Borough townships and at the
polls thereof and if the meme of the person signing
the affidavit the outside of said envelope shall be
found entered upon the lists of assessed taxables
for said Borough or townships, or receipt for the
payment of State or County tax within two years,
shall be presented, said envelope shall be by said
inspectors, publicly opened and the votes or bal
lots therein contained, shall be duly deposited in the
appropriate boxes prepared to receive the ballots Of
voters and the name of such absent elector shall be
of the person delivering the ballot at the pols
If such name shall not be found entered upon the
list of taxables for such Borough township where
such persons claims to reside, such envelope shall
not be opened unless affidavit be made by voter
of said Borough or townships to the effect that he
knows that said person whose vote is so offered, is
resident of said Borough or township, if such af
davit be made and delivered to the inspectors, they
shall cause his to be entered the list of tax
ables, and if the tax pc paid for said voter as re-
nn hv la w fha hall
veope, and deposit the votes ballots therein
tanned, aforesaid, and the of the person so
voting shall be entered upon the lists Of voters,
aforesaid. The affidavit required in this section may
be made before any alderman, justice of the peace
or the Judge of the election and any person can
pay the tax required by this section for any alb
sent elector.
SECTION 6. Any inspector or judge of election and
any elector to whom said ballot shall be sent, who
shall wilfully neglect or refuse to perform any of
the duties required Of him by this act or in any man
ner wlfuy violate or abuse any trust or duty here
by imposed on him, shall be deemed guilty of a
misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punish
ed by fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty
dollars, and by Imprisonment in the county jail not
exceeding four months.
SECTION 7. Every person who shall be guilty of
willful and corrupt false swearing or affirming in
taking any oath affirmation prescribed by this act
shall be adjudged guilty of wilfnl and corrupt per-
jury, and every person whoshall make orsign false
certificate to any instrument or affidavit authorized
by this act, shall be deemed guilty of a nisde
meanor.
SEcTIos s. Every person who shall deliver OF
present to the inspectors of elections under this act
any forged, altered or changed ballot envelope or
instrument, required or provided for by this act
knowing the same to be so forged altered changed
shall be guilty of d msdemeanor, and upon convic
ton shall be punished by fine not exceeding two
hundred and fifty dollars, and by Imprisonment in
the county jail not exceeding four months.
SECTION g. All laws relating to elections in this
State and the counties and Boroughs aforesaid not
inconsistent with the provisions of this act shall ap
ply to voting under the provisions Of this act
A. G. 0LMSTEAD,
Speaker Of tie House Of Representatives.