Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1865-09-29
From the Washington Start
The Maryland Registration Law TO be
Tested.

Tcblcus H. ... ..I
A mandamus case has been brought up
in the Circuit Court for Montgomery
county, sitting at Rockville, Hon. Samuel
II. Berry, Judge, designed to test the con-
stitution aud law Of Maryland, so far as
relates to the registration Of voters,' and
the question of the er post .facto nature
Of the law requiring such registration
The subject was brought before the court
in the form Of petition for a writ of
maudamus, by Mossrs. Robert j. Brent,
W. Viers Bowie, George Pe.er and John
Brewer, counsel for Mr.. Thomas Ander.
son, a citizen Of Montgomery county, who,
in written protest, dated August 20, at
Rockville, Md, aud addressed to the reg
listers of the 4th election district Of Mont.
gomery county, demands to bo registered
as free citizen, and setting forth that he
has never done anything TO disqualify him
as a voter. - 'r7.GEu rIE '..l1s
In the protest he says (" Having ex.
amined the law and the new Constitution
of tho State, under which you profess to
act as officers Of registration, I see that
you are directed to subject me, as all other
citizens of this State, to the tests Of Ger.
tain inquiries and answers on oath. aud
that you are authorised to disqualify me
as voter, notwithstanding I may salts
factorily answer all inquiries and take the
proposed oath. In other words, you can
claim tho authority, in your discretion, in
case submit to your tests, to insult mo
by saying that you do not believe my
sworn statements, and therefore you may
disifanehise me by refusing TO register my
name as voter, As free citizen, eou.
scious of my past rectitude, l eau never
submit to tho degradation Of laying my
sitiEOnship and my birthright at the feet
Of arbitrary power in whatever form or
guiso il may present itself I therefore
demand, as my right, that you shall forth.
with register my name in the column Of
qualified voters.
"In making this demand, I pronounce
so much Of the new constitution aud the
act Of the Legislature, as confer upon you
these despotic powers over the dearos,
rights Of your fellow.citisens, to be null
aud void as glaring usurpation Of power,
unwarranted by the fundamental prinei.
Piles of free government, aud directly in
confie, with the letter aud spirit Of several
lelauses Of the Federal Constitution, which
regard as tho paramount law of the
land, In the event Of your declining, at
once, TO register my name as legal voter,
protest against your usurpation Of pow
or, and shah claim the protection Of our
National Constitution by all lawfal means
At my command
Mr., Bowie stated TO the court that the
matter was not introduced there with the
purpose Of procuring an opinion, ba,
merely to secure a pro Jorma decree, 81
as 10 enable the petitioner 10 have the case
finally adj0dicated in the Court Of Appeals
OF tho State Of Maryland, or in the Sa.
lprems Court OF the United States, IL nee
lesSary, N
Mr., Anderson appeared in court and
made oath Ia due form OF law 10 the truth
Of the facts set forth in the petition, and,
lit was thereap0a ordered BY me Judge,
that rule be laid on j. w. Baker, Gee.
Ernest aud Julian Magr0der, the regis,
tiers therein Aamea, 70 show cause, on eg
before the l9lh of September, 1868, Why
writ Of mandAmus should aOl be issued,
as prayed by the petitioner. The court
then adjourned until the l9th of Sspssm.
ber, in order 10 enable the registers 10
ln,ak. nm Ah,ir renlV