Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1865-12-06
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.
Nashville. Tenn November Ok Is

was transmitted 70 ana read IN the House yesterday
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
Nashville Tenn, November g. 1865 7
Geatleme'.of the General Assembly: In compIi-
ance with your joint resolution, adopted Nov 23d.
1865 have the honor to make the following report
On the 10th of July last, seeing genera DISPOSE
ton to disregard the act to limit the elective fran
chise 1 issued my proclamation, requiring strict
execution Of the law and announcing that all the
votes of all persons and counties contrary TO the
strict provisions of this law be thrown out and not
taken into account"
After the election being assured that the law had
been in some counties enormously construed, and
in others wilfully evaded and in some instances to-
tally disregarded l issued my proclamation, cal
ling upon the clerks and sheris and loyal citizens
for information as to the in which voters had
been registered and the election held. Copies of
these proclamations are herewith presented.
Most of the clerks and sherlffs OF the various
counties of the State have responded to the inquiries
made in the proclamation of August the 18th, and
regret to find was not mistaken IN my apprehen-
sions that the law had been extensively mlsconstrued
and disregarded.
Certificates of registration seems to have been OBJ
tanned generally in five different modes.
l. Where the applicant was known to the clerk
TO be of publicly known Union sentiments.
! 2. Upon proof by witnesses that the applicant
within the provisions Of the 'act to limit the
| elective franchise"
D. pOH Tue OdIn OF the appllCahG a4OlSi tHoS uO
| came within some provision of the law.
/. The production of an oath of allegiance or am
nesty, taken at some time by the applicant.
| 5. Where the applicant was certified or vouched
| for by some official, either civil or military.
With some doubts to the legality of issuing GER
tifcstes to persons of publicly known Union sent
ments without proof. The clerk being the judge, 1
have, nevertheless, admitted that method of regis
traton where there was evidence of abuse of the
| discretion assumed BY the clerk.
The second method enumerated is clearly legal,
but the last three are clearly illegal
/ Believing that applicant for registration must
either be known to have been man of publicly
known Union sentiments, at all times or must pro-
duce proof under oath that he comes within the pro-
visions of the law, have in the application of this
construction, thrown out and not taken into ac-
count" the votes cast in the following counties
| illegally registered, viz: Hawkins, McMinn, Mon
roe Meigs, Grundy, Van Buren,, White, Smith, Put
man, Jackson, Macon, Coffee, Franklin, Marshall,
Benton, Williamson, Davidson, Sumner, Robertson
Cheatham, Maury, Humphreys, Montgomery, Stew
art Lawrence, Gibson, Weakly Madison, and Lau-
derdale.
The vote of the following counties having been
registered in the or the other of the two modes
first enumerated have been taken into account viz
johnson, Carter Greene, Cooke, Jefferson, Sewer,
Granger, Union, Knox, Campbell, Anderson Nor
gan, Blount Bradley, Hamilton Polk, Marion,
Bedsoe, Meigs, Warren Smith, Putnam DeKalb,
Rutherford, Lincoln Giles, Cannon, Coffee, Frank
| lin, Wilson, Hickman, Wayne McNairy, Hardemar,
Shelby and Haywood
From the following counties 1 have no satisfacto-
ry reports the presumption being in favor of the le
gaty of the registration viz Sullivan Washington,
Hancock, Scott, Polk, Roane, Sequatchie, Cumber-
land Fentress, Rhea Overton, Bedford, Perry, Lew
is, Decatur, Henderson, Fsyette and Upton.
The following table shows the vote of each Dis
trct as shown by the original returns and also as
modified by emitting counties improperly regis