The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-08-20
JOINT RESOLUTION
I mo S5.E JOdNT RESOLUIION
Proposing to amend the Constitution OF tae
/ State

Proposing to amend the Constitution OF tae
State
SECTION /. Be 1t rssotUed 6y. ae Senate
| and House of Representatives. Of the State Of
louisiana, I'M General Assembly conoened,
That at the General election next ensuing the
MASSAGE OF this resolution, the following arti-
| Gle shall be proposed to the qualified electors
of the State as an amendments to the c%onstitu-
ton of the State, which, when approved and
ratified by a majority of the voters at said
~eleetion, Shall become a part of the c~onstitu-
ton, in the place of the article numbered
ninety-nine.
SEC. 2. BE 1t further resoloed, etc, That
said article shall be in words and terms as
follows, to-wit:
No person shall hold any office, or shall be
permitted to vote at any election, or to act as
Juror, who, in due course Of law, shall have
been convicted of treason, perjury, forgery,
bribery, Or other crime punishable by impris-
onment in the penitentiary, or who shall be
under Introduction.
SEC. 3. Be it further resosued, etc., That
the tickets Of all persons voting npon this
proposed amendment shall have written or
printed thereon the words, ".For the amend
ment Of the ninety-ninth article of the censti-
tuition - or, Against the amendment of the
ninety-ninth article of the constitution :" and
the returning officers shall make returns of
votes thereon in the same manner as is pres
| cribed by law for returns of election, and the
Secretary Of State shall promulgate the result
BY publication three several times in the Off
cial journaA
And if a majority Of the votes cast at sail
election shall be, "For the amendment of the
nlnety.ninth article Of the constitution" then
the article numbered ninety-nine, and reading
as follows:
PARTICLE SO. The following persons shall
be prohibited from voting or holding any Of
flee: ALL persens who shall have been convic-
ted of treason, perjury, forgery, bribery, or
other crime punishable in the penitentiary,
and persons under Introduction. All persons
who are estopped from claiming the right Of
suffrage, by abjuring their allegiance to the
| United States Government, or by VIGOROUSLY
levying war against it, or adhering to its ene-
mics giving them aid or comfort, but who
have not expatriated themselves, nor have
been conyicted of any of the crimes mention
ed in the first paragraph of this article, are,
following: Those who held Office, civil or
military, for one year or more, under the
organization styled the Confederate States of
America : those who registered themselves as
| enemies Of the United States. those who act
| ed as leaders of guerrilla bands during the
late rebellion !; those who, IN the advocacy of
treason, wrote or published newspaper arti-
Giles OF preached sermons during the late re-
| bellion, and those who voted for and signed
an ordinance of secession in any State. No
person included in these exceptions shall
either vote or hold office until he shall have
relieved himself by voluntarily writing and
| signing a certificate setting forth that he ac-
knowledges the late rebellion to have been
L IL ga -,1,4sa,I1r r,rerp opI Ab,4 h.
regrets any aid and comfort he may have Civ
en- Il; and he shall file the certificate in the
Office OF the Secretary of State, and IL shall
be published in the official Journal; Provided,
That no person who, prior to the first day of
January, eighteen hundred and sixty-eight,
favored the execution Of the laws of the Uni
Eted States, popuiarly known as the Recon
struction Acts Of Congress, and openly and
actively assisted the loyal men of the State in
| their efforts to restore Louisiana to her posi-
| ton in she Union, shall be held to- be included
among those herein excepted. Registrars Of
voters shall take the oath of any such person
as prinsG jacie evidence of the fact that he is
| entitled to the benefit Of this proviso,'' shall
be stricken from the Constitution, and be null
| and void, and the article herein above set
forth and proposed as In amendment, shall be
la part OF che constitution. and shall be pub
lished in all official copies of the same, in
| place. Of the article n~inety-nine, so stricken
out and declared null and void.
(Signed) MORTIMER CARR,
Sneaker of the House Of Representatives.
(SignedJ OSCAR ). DUNN,
Lieutenant Governor and President of
the Senate.
Approved February VIC. 1870.
(Signed) FL. C. WARMOTH,
Governor Of tbs State of Louisiana.
A true copy:
GEo. E. BovEE,
/ SECRETARY of State