Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-05-07
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The Franchise Law.

3 SECTION l. Be ii enacted BY the Gen
a raj Assembly of the State Of Tennessee
Il That every white male inhabitant of thi
State, of the age of twenty-one years.
citizen of the United States and res
q dent Of the county wherein he may ofie
o his vote six months next preceding tn
day of election, shall be entitled to tn
privilege of the elective franchise, sui
: ject to the following exceptions and dis
qualifications, to-wit:
First. Said voter shall have neve
borne arms against the Government 0
the United States for the purpose of aid
e ing the late rebellion, nor have volunta
rily given aid, comfort, countenancee
|. counsel or encouragement to any rebel
: lion against the authority of the United
States Government, nor aided, counte
: nanced or encouraged acts of hostility
: thereto
Second That said voter shall have
never sought, or voluntarily accepted
, any Office, civil or military, or attempted
to exercise the functions Of any office,
civil or military, under the authority or
: pretended authority of the so-called Con-
! federate States of America, or of any in
surrectionary State whatever, hostile or
opposed to the authority of the United
States Government, with the intent and
desire to aid said rebellion or insurrec-
tionary authority.
; Third. That said voter shall have never
voluntarily supported any pretended
government, power, or authority hostile
or inimical to the authority of the United
States, by contributions in money or
property, by persuasion or influence, or
in any other way whatever. Procided,
That the foregoing restrictions and dis
qualifications shall not apply to any
white citizen who may have served in
and been honorably discharged from the
army or navy of the United States since
the first day of January, 1862, nor to
those who voted in the Presidential cleo
| ton in November, 1864, or voted in the
election for ratification or rejection"
in February, 1865, or voted in the cleo
ton held on the 4th day of March of the
same year, for Governor and members OF
the Legislature, nor to those who have
been appointed to any civil or military
Office BY Andrew johnson, Military Gov
ernor, or VIM. G. Brownlow, Governor
of Tennessee, all of whom are hereby de-
clared to be qualified voters, upon their
complying with the requirements of this |
act Prooided, That this latter clause |
shall not apply to any commission issued |
upon any election which may have been |
held.
SEC. 2. Be ii further enacted, That
the Governor of the State shall, within
sixty days after the passage Of this act,
appoint a Commissioner of Registration
for each and every county in the State,
who shall, without delay, enter upon the
discharge of his duties, and who shall
have full power to administer the neces-
ssry oaths provided by this act The
said Commissioner, before entering upon
the duties of his office, shall take and
subscribe an oath to support the Consti-
tuition Of the United States and the Con-
stitution of the State of Tennessee, and
Office, and also the oath prescribed in
section third Of this act, which oaths
shall be fled in the Office of the Secretary
of State.
The said Commissioner shall keep his
Office at the county seat of the county,
and il shall be his duty to take the proof
required by this act, and to register the
names of each and every qualified voter,
and to issue certificate that such voter
is entitled to the privilege of the cleo
tive franchise, and he shall preserve and
keep the necessary records of his office,
and shall receive from the Treasury of
the State the sum of one hundred dol
lars, to be paid upon the warrant of the
r. &c AL ~. |
missioner shall make report to the
County Court, at each quarterly session
thereof, showing the number of voters
registered previous to said quarterly SEES
SION provided that all sums OF money
paid by said Commissioner for the United
States revenue stamps in the discharge
of his duty, shall be credited and paid
out Of the County Treasury.
SIC. 3. BE IL further enacted, That
said Commissioner shall issue certificates
of registration to every white soldier who
may have served in, and been honorably
from the army or navy of the
United States since the said first day of
January, 1862, upon the production of
the proper certificate Of such service and
or the legal evidence of the
loss Of such discharge. Said Commits
sioner shall issue certificates of registra-
ton to all those who voted in the said
February and March elections,
upon the production Of the poll books of
the election at which said voter voted, or
a certified copy, under oath, of such
poll book in case the voter may have re-
moved TO another county, or upon the
affidavit of two enfranchised citizens,
known to the Commissioners 10 have
been unconditional Union men through
out the rebellion, in case said poll book
may be lost Il,
And he shall Issue certificates of reg
istration to those citizens of Tennessee
who have been appointed to office by the
said military or civil Governors upon the
production Of the commission showing
such appointment, or the proper certih-
cate Of the Secretary Of State, that such
was issued, in case of loss.
But every other person claiming to be
entitled to the privilege Of the elective
as provided in this act, shall, |
before he obtains certificate thereof,
prove by the evidence Of two competent
witnesses, known to the Commissioner
to have been themselves at all times un-
conditional Union men, that they are
acquainted with the person
so claiming, and that they verify believe
that he has not been guilty Of any of the
disqualifcations hereinbefore specially
which proof shall be taken
upon affidavit, subscribed by said witness
and fled in said Office of said Commits
sioner; and said applicant shall also take
aud subscribe the following oath before
the Commissioner of Registration:
Il do solemnly swear that | have never