Natchitoches spectator., 1868-08-25
Y'.se Eligibility Bill.

4
| The following is q synopsis of the
"eligibiity BILL" which has passed both
Houses OF the Legislature and now goes
to the Governor for mis- signature /:
The first section provides that all per
sons elected or appointed 20 any Office
shall be required by the governor, before
commission is issued, to take the oath
provided in the third section of the bill.
The second section provides that all
persons elected to any office, State, par
isn or municipal, who do not require a
commission from the governor shall, be-
fore taking their seats, take tho oath
prescribed in the third section.
The third section sets forth the fol
lowing oath to be subscribed to by all
fice holders: II, a. b., do solemnly
swear Tor affirm, as the case may be-
that I have not been convicted of trea
son, perjury, forgery, bribery or other
crime punishable in the penitentiary !;
that / did not hold office, civil or mill
tary, for one year or more, under the
organization styled .The Confederate
States Of America > that did not reg
lister myself as an enemy to the United
United States; that l did not act as a
leader of guerrilla bands buring the late
rebellion; that in the advocacy of trea-
son did not write or publish newSpa-
per articles, or preach sermons during
the late rebellion, and that L did not
vote for and sign the ordinance of
secession in any State" Any per-
son included in the above catalogue
of voters, who has in due form taken
the ''recantation oath,'' shall be exempt
ed from taking this oath or any per
son who has 'sprior to the first day of
January, eighteen hundred and sixty
eight, favored the execution of the laws
of the United States, popularity known
as the reconstruction acts of Congress,
and openly and actively assisted the
loyal men of the State in their efforts
to restore Louisiana to her position in
the Union" may hold Office on making
oath to that effect, except he has ten
gagged in any insurrection or rebellion
against the United States, or given aid
and comfort to the enemies thereof, af.
ter having taking an oath as member OF
Congress, or as an officer OF the United
States, or as a member of any State
Legislature, or as an executive or judi
cial officer of any State, to support the
Constitution of the United States.''
The section provides further that any
person distrancllised by the fourteenth
to the Constitution of the
United States, who has been relieved
by act of Congress from such disability,
may hold Office on taking oath to that
effect.
Section fourth ordains that any of the
above oaths must be taken within thirty
days after the election if the oaths are
not duly subscribed to before competent
Authority in that time they shall have
no effect
Section fifth provides an imprison-
ment at hard labor in the Penitentiary
For not less than five years nor more
than ten years, as the punishment for
any false taking of the above oaths
Section sixth enacts that the taking |
Of the above oaths shall not invalidate |
he right of contesting on the ground of
neligibity of the election of the per-
sons taking the oaths.
Section seventh provides that all per
sons now holding Office shall, within
'hlrty days, comply with every provi-
Ion OF the foregoing sections, on pain,
n case of failure so to de, of having
heir offices declared vacant.
Section eighth. provides that the Off
'ial acts of those persons who fail to fill
he oaths required in the time specified
hall, after the expiration of that date,
,e null and void, and further ordains
hat his salary shall cease from that time.
ma that, If his election be successfully
ontested, he shall pay to the person
IecIared elected all salaries, fees, etc.
eceived since the commencement of his
olding of the Office, and that any fees
aid to snch ineligible person 'sslall not
discharge the party paying them from
aging them again to the proper officer"
Section nine enacts that the punish
nent for failure of the person declared
Ineligible to deliver over at once to the
arty declared elected, all books, pa. ;
ers, archives, etc, pertaining tc the
flee, or the attempt of any such ousted {
arty to interfere with his successor in
he discharge of bis duties, shall be
with a fine of not less than
100 nor more than $1,000, and with an {
in the common Jail for not !
ass than three months nor more than
ne year.
Section ten is the usual repeating |
lause.
Section eleven provides that the act S
hall go into effect IRON and after it's !
asSage.
The average proportion of population |