Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-05-19
The New Registry Law.


ing epitome of the law will be perused with
interest by our readers:
The first section makes it the duty of the
| Assessor in each district, on the first Monday
/ in June of each year, to revise the tran
scripts received from the County Commits
sioners, by striking from them the name of
every person who is known by him to have
died or removed, since the last previous as
sessment, from the district, or whose death
or removal shall be made known to him.
He shall also add to the list the name of any
qualified voter who shall be known by him
to have removed into the district since the
last previous assessment, or whose removal
into the same shall be made known to him,
and also the names of all who shall make
claim to be qualified voters therein. The
Assessor, as soon as the revision is complet-
ed shall visit every dwelling house in his
district and make careful inquiry in regard
| to the death or removal of every person up
| on his list, and should he discover that any
have died or removed he shall take the name
from the list of voters. Should the asses
sor find any person residing in the district
whose name is not on the list, he shall add
the same thereto, and in all such cases he
shall assess tax against the person. Then
follows careful registry of all the voters in
each district with their occupations, resi-
dences, place of boarding, by whom en-
ployed &c.
Any person claiming to vote by reason of
naturalization, unless he has been for five
consecutive years voter in the district,
shall exhibit his certificate to the Assessor,
and all such names when entered on the list
shall be marked with the letter n The
Assessor shall also make out separate list
of all new assessments made by him,
with the amount assessed against each, and
furnish the same Immediately to the County
Commissioners, who shall add the same to
the duplicate Of the district to which it be-
longs.
On the list of voters being completed it
shall be returned to the commissioners of
the County, who shall cause duplicate cop.
les to be made and placed in the hands of
the Assessor, who shall, prior to the first of
August of each year, place one copy on the
door of the house where the election of the
respective district is held, for the inspection
of all who desire TO examine it.
The Assessor shall also from time to time
add to this list the name of any person
claiming the right to vote, his residence, oc-.
cupation, &C., and mark opposite the name
of such person the letters Z. V. Claiming
to vote).
Ten days preceding the general election,
the Assessor must attend at the place of
holding the election and hear all applica-
tons that shall be made by persons whose
names have been omitted from the list of
voters, and shall add the names of such per-
sons as shall establish their right to vote, ,on
their personal application only
The amended list shall be placed on the
door of or on the house where the election
is held, at least eight days before the elec-
| tion.
Any person whose name is on the list may
have his right to vote challenged by any
| qualified voter. He shall then make the
same proof of his right to vote as is now
required by law.
Any person claiming to vote whose name
is not on the list shall produce at least one
qualified voter resident of the district, who
shall subscribe to an affidavit, setting forth
the facts of the case that are within his
knowledge. The person so claiming to vote
| Shal oil ,ha
afhdavits shall be preserved by the officers
of election; and if the board is satisfied of
his right, the vote shall be received and his
name added to the list
Heavy penalties are prescribed for any
frauds connected with papers of natural
! ization.
| Spring elections are abolished by the fif-
teenth section Of this act, and all elections
for city. ward, township, borough and cleo
ton officers, shall hereafter be held on the
second Tuesday in October. The persons
elected to office at that time, shall take their
places at the expiration of the terms of the
persons holding the same at the time of such
election but there shall be no election of
Assessor or Assistant Assessor until 1870.
Such are the principal provisions of this
highly important law. The outrageous
frauds pereetrated upon the ballot box, for
several years past, through fraudulent nat
uralization papers, repea tiers, ETC., and by
means Of which the will of the people was
frequently set at naught, made change in
our election laws a nece: sity. IF the provis-
ions of the new law are strictly and faith
fnlly enforced, a repetition of such outra-
ges upon the purity of the ballot box will be
greatly eircumscribed is not totally prevent
ed; and hence our readers can readily un.
derstand why the Democratic leaders and
papers are so bitterly and persistently de-
nouncing the new Registry law
! The Democratic newspapers are never
tired of asserting that the fifteenth amend
ient is row being forced through to ratif
cation against the will of the people. Last