The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-02-28
REGISTRATION ACT.
An Act TO Abolish Elections.
The Governor Appointed Dictator
HETESTOATH RE- ENACTED
A Republican form ofGovernment
Passed February &c, 1866.


Be it enacted BY the Legislature Of Hest tW
| ginia
| /. There shall be appointed by the
Governor, from among the citizens most
known for loyalty, firmness aud up
rightness, three persons fer each county
residing therein who shall be STYLED
the County Board Of Registration, which
board shall proceed to appoint one loyal
and upright person, to be styled the
Registrar for each ward Of the cities
| and incorporate towns, and each town
ship or district of such county. The
Registrar shall register the white male
citizens in his ward, township or district,
entitled to vote therein according to the
provisions of this act, in the manner
hereinafter provided and the members
| of the said board, aud the registrars,
shall each, before entering upon the dis
charge ofhis duties, take the proper oath
of office, passed November sixteenth, one
| thousand eight hundred and siGty-three,
which oath, sworn to as aforesaid, shall
be subscribed by the party and returned
to. and filed by, the Recorder of the
county. Each member of the said board,
and each Registrar, shall receive two
dollars for each day occupied and requir-
ed in discharging the duties OF his office
Anv vacancy in the county board, or in
the Office of registrar, shall be filled as
hereinafter provided, any two of said
board having power to act and perform
all the duties and functions Of their Of
fee.
g. The Governor shall cause 70 be pre-
pared suitable books for the registration
of the names of voters and facts requlr
ed BY this act, to be furnished to the
county board of registration and by
them distributed to the registrars OF
their respective wards, townships or
districts The books aforesaid shall be
so arranged as to admit of the alphabet
cal classification of the names of voters,
and ruled in parallel columns, on which
shall be entered First, the name of the
person registered; second, sworn; third,
age: fourth, the place of his birth; Jtfth,
the time of his residence in the ward,
township or district sirth, time OF resi-
dence in the State; ssrsntk, ifnaturalized,
the date of the papers, and the court by
which issued.
8. Before any registrar shall register
the name OF any person as a qualified 20.
ter, except as hereinafter provided, lie
shall be satisfied Of his qualifications as
heretofore provided by law, and ifh has
any doubt as to such persons loyalty, he
shall administer the following affidavit
- Township of - County, TO
wit: |, A. B, do solemnly swear that
have not since the first day OF June,
eighteen hundred and sixty-one, vol,
unfairly borne arms against the United
States, the reorganlzed government ot
Virginia OF the State OF West Virginia
that | have not voluntarily gwen aid,
comfort or assistance to persons en-
gagged in aimed hostility against the
United States, the reorganizsd govern
T;rrr;o S ViISiT'f hat q ath the State OF West
cepted, exercised. or attempted to exer-
else any Office CT appointment whatever.
under any authority or pretended all
thority hostile or inimical to the United
States, the reorganized government of
Virginia or the State of West Virginia;
that | will support the Constitution OF
the United States and the constitution
ofthis State; and that take this oath
freely without any mental reservation
or purpose of evasion Such atfldaYll
shall be subscribed by the party and
sworn to! before the registrar: and re
turned with his books to the comfy
board of registration, TO be filed by snCh
board Provided that no person who
has heretofore volunteered in the mill
tary service of the United States or of
this State aud who has been, or may
hereafter be, honOrably discharged
, Oh no
the affidavit Of voters provided by nff
act or he rejected from registration
on account Of any disloyalty prior
thereto but any person presenting
an honorable discharge from the United
States military service, if quail
fed as heretofore provided by law, shall
be registered as n qualified voter
And provided, further, that every
person shall be registered who will be
entitled to vote at the first election OC-
curing after the registration by reason
of his arriving at twenty-one years of age
before that time, or by reason of his hav-
| ing then resided for a sufficient length
of time in his election district, provided
that he is otherwise qualified according
| to the provisions of this section.
l. The registrar shall not allow the
| name of any foreign born resident or cit
| izen, qualified rs aforesaid, to be regis
tered unless his naturalization papers
be produced and exhibited to him, and
BY him endorsed with the date of their
exhibition, or upon satisfactory proof
| that such person is naturalized. entering
| in the sixth columns the facts and their
suficiency to constitute such person q
voter, provided that this section shall
not apply to persons who came to this
country under eighteen years Of age, or
to persons who have served in the ar
mics of the United States OIL Of this
| State, and been or shall be honorably
discharged therefrom.
| 5. The registrar shall immediately
upon recript or notice Of his appoint
ment, proceed to register the names Of
all the qualified voters within his ward
township OF district il accordance with
the provisions OF this act, and shall have
sach egistratiou completed on or before
the fourteenth day Of April, eighteen
hundred and si1ry-siI, aud il shall be
the duty ofthe registrar to sit at some
convenient place in his ward, township
or district, on Friday aud Saturday OF
every week, from the first Thursday ia
August to the third Saturday OF Septem'
Der, exclusive, for the purpose OF amend
ing and correcting the said registration.
and he shall give notice Of the time and
place of sitting, at least ten days prev
| tors thereto. bT posting printed notices