The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-08-15
LIBERALIZATION VOTERS
ATTORNEY GENERALS OPINION,
ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE,
BAl.TiAIORE, August 3, lS6S.


DR. WIN. II. NORRIS, President Of Commit
fee Of Registration GDiecrs, &e.-Drar Sir
In reply to the request oil ;,e .stralion ON
GERS ior my opinion as 10 their dnlies under the
,ct If Isti.' CHAPTER 291 have to ar tnt HEY
are iii. ecied by tie 4th section of the said nt!
al, the third Monday in Scptenhef to demand
from the Clerks oil Baltimore ciry and the sew
eral counties the books of REGISTRATION and
certified copies of the lists Dt qualified vocrS,"
anl they. shall safely keep hRd project said
boz K and lists from alteration. mat.ia:iun and
.:.t;lcenent whilst in their possession. l'y the
si.k section hey are required to sit, will! open
doors, ut some place i'll their respective wards
and districts. for six successive days in Baiii-
more city and Allegany country, and three days
in the other cuuutirs, commencing on the third
Monday of September. from o'clock a. Nj.
so 3 O'Clock l.. NJ. in baltimore CITY. and from
"a. ~ to 6 F. NJ. i'll the counties having given
at least ten Gays notice therof. rs required by
that section. Having met at the time and place
published, " they shall proceed to strike from
The list of qualified eS:frs from the books OF
registration Tie names OF all persons KNOWN or
made known to them, who have died, removed,
or become Disqualified &c, and to rsgi lister
the name of every white male person who shall
apply and testify there that he has, OF before the
day of the next election will have, the 4ualiiiea-
tioas OF age, citizenship and residence, and Is
,,ot,lis qualified under the second and third sec
tiois O. the Hrst article ofthe Constitution and
before registering the person rs Il qualified VOTER
they shall administer the oath prescribed in the
sixth section. Tie seventh section requires
fiiss they shall perform those duties diligently
sad accurately. The eighth section particular
ICES the order in which they shall make the pre-
scribed entries 81 the proper column ct sad
book of registration" Here Il difficulty is pre-
sencd in the literal discharge Ct their duty, as
che section euumerates nine entries, while the
- said b,oks OF registration contain but eight
eo;Hmps,
This difficulty ,na, be obriatod by making
the entry of " residence and the time of his res
dence ~ in the fifth column Of the Old books,
whidh column, under the former registration
laws, was to contain the time of residence. 4 c.
t5;s will consolidate the fifth and sixth entries
ualers ,l section eight, and leave the remaining
columns for - naturalization" dlsqualitica-
ton and :. qualified voters - for the upproprl
ate entries under said section eight of the law
ISIS
2be ninth section requires the said officers
alter * pration of the six days to make or cause
to I've n.da fro alphabetical lists one of the
names striekei, from the Old list and books of
registration, and ths other of the names not 50
stricken; " amt in the list far Baitimore city,
tie residence of every voter shall 81; ainXed OPP
e,osat. bis uame," and the lists shall be publish
ed as di:neted The tenth directs the officers
to sit three daya in Baltimore city and Balti-
more and AllegfEy eou9tes, and two days i'll
the other counties, " for tbs purpose Of correct
ing said books Of registration and sit,a lists rs
.s;ale and published" commencing Oh the Soc
..na Monday of October, having given at least
rye day U0tice thereof. The eleventh section
directs how the correction is to be made The
twelfth section directs that alter correction they
shall I" make an alphabetical list Of the names
Of the qllllitieI voters in their respective wards
.snd districts, and the list Of Baltimore city
skaHL1 arranged according to precincts, and
the namf ofertry rotcr shall be piaced IN the list
the precinct iii which he resides, for baltimore
county, where districts are divided into pre-
cncts, otherwise by district the residence Of
each person shall be set opposite bis nan's X
This direction as 10 baltimore county IL not
xery clear but | suppose it to mean that as
some OF the e,.-cion districts in Baltimore coun-
ty are divided into pfaejncts, in making the list
for each district, the precinct Of his residence,
shall be indicated, as to show wbare be is
entitled to vote. And this | take to be the
pieaninS t,f the requirement in the ninth section
shat in tl4 iist for Baltimore city the residence
of every voter shall be affixed opposite his
name :" that is, that in the fDi each ward. the
precinct where the voter resides shall he iadica-
tad by the number of the precinct, and not the
,lu,uier of the street of his residence. The thri
teentia section directs three copies of the lists of
s'oters to bs made and disposed of AS therein
specified, and dirse.a that the 9 said officers
thall deliver to said csrks 81 sHil courts the
books IF registration " 1t is clear IRON the pro-
visions of the law that it con:emp!ateS the cor
:ection and preservation of the old books, and
not the making of new books
am of the opinion that .the registrati III Of
ticers may employ s,iah clerical force as they
may deem necessary to aid them in the discharge
of their duties, to be paid for as the othef incl
dental expenses are directed to be paid. Very
respectfully, your cbedient servant,
ISAAC ID JONES,
Attorney General of Maryland.
Mrs. Mamie, wife of Judge Gold ;borougl,
died in Easton, Md last week