The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-06-23
Aatiuaal Republican,
loFFfciAL /
HEADo'Rs Fouhru MILITARY Disrnicr,
(MississiPrI AND ARKANsAs,) ,
N.nn aanan MIaa Mau n 1919

General Oraers, No. 10.
/. Tho Mississippi Constitutional Conven.
tion, convened at Jackson, Mississippi, Ia
compliance with General Orders No. 81, series
Of 1867, frop these headquarters, having
framed q conititution and civil government in
conformity with the laws Of the United States
known as the reconstruction acts, aud having
provided for the submitting Of said constitu-
tion to the registered voters for ratification or
rejection, and having provided for an election
Of State officers, including Senators and Rep
resentatives In tho State Legislature, and
members Of the House Of Representative
Of the United States Congress, at an cleo.
tion To be conducted BY and IN Ter the orders
Of the commanding geusrh OF the district,
said election Is by authority dfths abovc cited
laws and 10 accordance with an ordinance Of
said convention, hereby ordered to be held In
Mississippi, beginning the 22i day Of June
1868, and continuing until completed as here.
matter prescribed, at which election tho
qualified electors may vote For Constitu.
ton" or Against Constitutiop,r and also
upon the same ballots for the ofi.crs herein
referred to.
IL Commencing fourteen days before the
election, the boards Of registration will meet
at tho county seat or such other place In their
respective oountios as will bs the most acesssi.
bic to tho people. after reasonable public notice
by tho retained registrar, by means Of o general
and thorough distribution and posting of the
printed notices furnished from these headqusr.
teas for that purpose, and rovise for q period
Of Eve days the registration lists, and, upon
being satisfied that any person not entitled
thereto has been registered, will strike the
name Of such persons from the lists and such
persons shall not DO allowed TO vote Tho
boards wrll also during the same period add to
the registry the names Of persons who at tho
time possess the qaaliieAtions required by law,
and who have not already registered. All
changes made In the reg stration lists will DO
Immediately, upon tho termination Of the Pc.
Rod mentioned, reported by letter to these
headquarters. These reports must show the
name Of tho persons added or erased. the pre-.
cinct, and tho number Of the certificate Of
registration. In cases Of srasure, the reason
will be given. II no changes are made, that
fact must be reported. 'Hs.r
Ill In order to secure as nearly as possible
full expression Of the voice Of the people,
the election will be held at each precinct Of
every county Of tho State of Mississippi, and,
as required by law, under tho supervislons Of
the county boards Of registration. The method
of conducting the election In each county will
DO as follows At the meeting provided for
in the foregoing paragraph each board Of
registrars will divide the whole number Of
election precincts Of their respective couu-
ties into three portions a. nearly equal In
number rs possible, and assign one Of the
shares thus made to each registrar, who will
1e responsible for the proper conduct Of the
election therein. ThersuPoa each registrar
will appoint o judge and clerk Of election,
who with himself. will constitute the "com.
misioners Of election" for all the precincts of
his district. Each registrar will provide
himself with q bollot-box, with lock and
key, and Of sufficient sire to contain the bal
lots of all the registered voters in his entire
share Of the county. Each registrar will give
full and timely notice throughout his district,
OF the day oil election In each precinct, BY
means of handbills furnisbed for that purpose,
so that he, with his judge and clerk, can pro.
coed from procine. to precinct OF his district,
and hold election on consecutive days, when |
the distance between precincts will permit,)
with view to tbs carly completion of the |
voting. Tho election will be by ballot, and
will be conducted, in all details not herein
prescribed, according to the custom hereto
fore in use in tho State. Each ballot will
have written or printed upon it, For Consti. |
tuition, or Against Constitution" and the
names OF tho officers voted for. The com.
missioners Of election will, at any precinct In
their share Of the county, receive the votes Of
persons registered In that share. Each voter,
in offering his ballot, must exhibit his certiG-
cate ofregistry, across the face Of which the
clcrk Of election will write his name Ia rcd
ink, and the word Voted" with date, thus
cancelling the certificate. and indicating
that vote has been cast upon that certificate
at this election; at the same time the regis
trar will check of tho voters name on the
precinct book, serving rs "poll book" Tho
polls will be opened at 8 o'clock A. NJ, at
each precinct, and will be kept continuously
open until = p. NJ. at which time the polls
will be closed. Before opening the polls the
ballot.boxes will be oponed, inspected by the
commissioner Of election, to ascertain that
they then contain no ballots and in this couditi.
ton will DO exposed to the view Of the persons
who may DO In attendance. Then In public
they will be closed, locked, and the locks
sealed. The bsllot.boxes will not be unlocked
or opened until the election In the entire county
is ended. Each day at the close Of the cleo.
lion tho opening In the boxes through which
tho ballots are deposited will be closed by 4
covering OF thick paper, sesurly sealed with
wax. This covering will be preserved until
voting Is resumed. The sealing and opening
of the boxes, in the mann9r directed, will DO
iono in public.
The registrars will begin the election at the
most remote precincts, and proceed BY the
most practicable route, from precinct to pre-.
,inct, to the county seat or other place |
where tho revision Of the registration may |
iavo been held, and upon the arrival thereat |
II all the commissioners of sIsstion, they will |
It once open one poll and hold tho election |
me day for that precinct, at which poll how.
yer, any registered voter Of the county who |
las not previously voted may cast his ballot.
The voting at this poll will close the election
or tho county. Within twenty. -four hours
'fter the closing Of the election 10 each coun-
y, the ballot-boxss will be opened, tho bal.
OTIS counted, and return Of tho election made
Ipon the blank forms prescribed and fur
ishedr and delivered to the hands of regis.
rar to be hereafter designated, who will at
nee bring them to these headquarters. Be.
ore the opening Of the ballot boxes the reRi,.
rars will invite at least one suitable person
each political party to be in attendance
uring the counting or the ballots and the
laking up Of the return. Such persons will
Q afforded fair opportunity Of seeing that
0 frauds arc committed. but In NO instance
nd under no prstence will any return DO made
J the commissioners ofeloction, excspt In the
amer above prescribed.
~. Judges and clerks Of election will be
elected by registrars, preferably from
IGong the residents of their respective dis.
let's but il they cannot be obtained therein
'mpetent and qualified under tho law, then :
ON among the residents of tho couptyi and
not obtainable in the county. then from the /
ate at largei they are required to take and
Describe to tho oath Of office prescribed BY
70 act oil Congress July 2, 1862, which oath i
ay DO administered by the registrar Tho
this, properly subscribed, will be forwarded
imediately for file in the office Of the acting i
'stant adJutant general at these headquar. ,
"a. 1
The pay Of these officers will DO sig 10Y
llars per diem, for each day they are actually