Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-04-20

of the desertion of all persons who were cit
izens of this Commonwealth, and who were
| deprived of citizenship and disqualified by
| the said act of Congress of March third,
one thousand eight hundred and sixty-fiye,
and to cause to be recorded and preserve in
books to be provided and kept for that pur-
| pose in his Office, full and complete exem-
| plifcations of such rolls and records; and to
cause true copies to be made thereof and
| furnished to the clerks of the several Courts
of Quarter Sessions of this Commonwealth,
accurate duplicates or exe:Rplifcations of
such rolls and records embracing the names
of all such disqualified persons as had their
residence within the limits of said counties
respectively at the time of their being mark
ed or designated as deserters; and it shall be
the duty of the clerks of the several Courts
of Quarter Sessions of this Commonwealth
to preserve in books to be kept for the pur-
pose all copies and exemplifcations of
such rolls and records so furnished, and to
allow access thereto, and furnish certified
copies therefrom on request, in ike manner
as in the case of other records Of such
courts.
SEC. g.. That a certified copy or extracts
ofany such record from the clerk Of Court
of Quarter Sessions of this Commonwealth
election board of the fact of desertion and
consequent disability and disqualification as
an eector, Provided, that if any person shall
Wilfully use or present any false, fraudulent
or forged paper purporting to be a certified
copy or extract as aforesaid, he shall be
deemed guilty of misdemeanor, and on
conviction thereof shall be punished as mis-
demeanors are now by law punishable And
provided, however, that if by the produc-
ton of a certificate of his honorable discharge
it shall appear that such person so offering
to vote was IN the military service of the
United States before and at the time Of his
being drafted into such service, and there
upon failing to report, or in case Of the fact
of desertion appearing by certified copy of
his company roll, if it shall appear that he
was afterwards acquitted thereof, and hon
orably discharged, such proof shall be re-
ceived as evidence to disprove his said dis
qualification. And provided further, That
if any person liable to be objected to as dis
qualified, as aforesaid, shall produce before
any board Of election officers any false or
fraudulent paper, purporting or pretended
to be his honorable discharge from the Uni
ted States service, heshall be deemed guilty
forgery, and on conviction thereof shall be
punished as persons are now by law punish
able for forgery.
SIC. 7. That it shall be the duty Of the
judges and inspectors Of elections hereafter
to be held in this Commonwealth, whenever
the name of fany person offering to them
ballot or ballots should be found upon a GER
tilted copy or extract furnished from said
rolls or records by clerk of Court of Quar-
ter Sessions, marked as a deserter, or when
ever any person shall be objected to as dis
qualified as aforesaid at any election by any
qualified voter, at the request or suggestion
Of any such pereon offering ballot, to ex-
anime such person on oath or affirmation as
to the fact appearing from such certificate
or alleged against him by the elector so OBJ
jecting, and if he deny it, as to his reasons
therefor; provided, however, that if any Of
his answers under such examination are
false, such person shall be deemed guilty of
the crime of perjury, and upon conviction
thereof he shall be punished as persons are
now punishable by law for perjury.
SEC. 8. That it shall be the duty of the
sheriffs in the several counties of this Com
monwealth to insert, in their proelamations
of elections hereafter to be held, the first
four sections of this act, with the preamble
thereof
SEC. 9. That in the trial of all cases aris-
ing under this act, it shall be the duty of
the Courts trying the same; to inquire into
and determine any question of fact as to al
legged desertion involved therein, upon
proofs furnished by exemplifcations, or ex-
tract from such rolls and records duly certi-
fed by the proper clerk of Court Of Quar-
ter Sessions, which are hereby made evi-
denee thereof, and also from such proofs by
either party.