The Baltimore County union., 1866-08-11
Registers Meeting.

In accordance with notice published
through the columns of the Journal, the Regis
ters for Baltimore county assembled at Frank
lin Inn, Baltimore, on Saturday last, organic
ing by electing Joshua Jessop, ESQ.,, President
and Frank L. Morling, ESQ.,, Secretary The
following resolution was unanimously adopted
ResoIved, That all cases upon the Books OF
Registration of Baltimore county, now marked
as "disfranchised" or ''disloyal," and no wit.
nesses given in the Sth column, the said cases
be again taken up, if application be made by
the person so recorded.
This truly foreshadows ''liberal construc-
ton of the law" Article of the Registry
law required the first board of Registers, "be-
fore entering any name on the Register of vo-
ters, to diligently inquire and ascertain that
such person has not done any of the acts which
are declared in the Sd, 4th and 5th sections of
the said Article of the Constitution Article lst,]
as causes of disqualification, md If evidence
brought to their knowledge shall satisfy them that
lie is disqualified uader either of said sections,
they SHALL NOT enter his name as a Uotea' in said
SM column or register of qualified UoterS, but
SHALL CAREFULLY EXCLUDE IT THEREFRoM, not
,cithstamding he may hoce taken the oath Of ale
glance prescribed in section 4M Of said lst article
of the Constitution
Section Is of the Registry Law, in preserib-
ing the duties of those who shall be appointed
after the first general election to add to the list
of registered voters the names of such persons
''who shall have come of age, acquired legal
residence, been naturalized," &C., expressly
provides that "said officer Of Registration
SHALL NOT put on tie Hst Of voters the name
of any person acho aoas entered on the original
book Of registration as disqualified u,sder the 3D.,
4h or 5th section Of the Constitution, suithoutfull
legal proof that such disqualification has been re-
moved IN the manner prescribed In said sections OF
said article Of the Constitution"
And yet notwithst- landing the seeming plain
ness of these requirements of the Registry law,
the Registers have resolved to take up the ca
ses Of those whom the former Registers adiudg-
ed disqualified "Liberal," truly
The Registers passed another resolution as
follows
ResoLved, That in view of the increased du-
ties of the Office each officer of Registration in
each district. be empowered to appoint clerk
and furnish such books, stationery, &C., as may
DC necessary,
This ''increased duty'' probably consists in re.
conciling their consciences to the course the
Registers have resolved to pursue. With some
of them it will doubtless be an easy matter.
but with others it will probably require a her
culean effort. It was supposed that after the
first registration the bulk of the labor attached
to the position was over, and that one register
could easily perform all that was required un-
der the law, but our registers have discovered
that the duties are Increased" and so they
"empower" each other to employ clerks, &c.
That the Registers are adopting the "libera
policy recommended by Gov. Swami is suffi
GENTLY evidenced by the fact that already mel
known throughout the war as bitter rebels
have been registered. A note from the 18th
district informs us that the first man register
| ed there was "Long Tom Pitcher, a noted reb
ell The Register for our own district has Sc
lected as his clerk very clever young gentle
man, but one who has been known and ac
| knowledged as secessionist and opponent o.
| the Governments. If such actions as these dt
not open the eyes of the few Union men of oul
county who have been cooperating with the
Johnson and Swami party, we are very much
| mistaken.