The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-10-22
REGISTRATION AND NATUkALlZA.
TTON.

REGISTRATION AND NATURALlZA.
TION.
The committees on registration and natur-
alization of the State Central and Parish Com
mittees now meet daily at their respective
headquarters.
Prompt reports should be made to the secre-
tary of either committee of all violations OF
law, fraudulent registration, OF refusal to
register persons entitled thereto
The following extracts Of legal opinions by
w. r. Whitaker, Esq, attorney of the COM
nittees, are published for information. Re-
susal Of super visors or assistant supervisors to
conform thereto should be promptly reported:
The Assistant Supervisors have no right to
retain naturalization papers under any circum-
stances They have no right TO inquire into the
circumstances of naturalization, into the evil
dence on which the naturalization was made or
to 60 behind the seal Of the court and signature
of the clerk.
The Assistant Supervisor who retains the nat
uralized papers should be arrested for larceny at
once:
Relative to the case Of -, have to say
that If he is naturaized, if his papers have seal
of court and signature Of clerk if he can be iden-
tilted the party to whom the certificate was
issued, and if he has resided twelve months in
the State and ten days in the parish, he is emit
tied to registration, whatever he may have
answered to unauthorized questions by the
assistant supervisor or any one else.
Even if he obtained naturalization improperly,
he is naturaliZed citizen, entitled to register
and vote, If the other requisite named above are
not wanting.
There is no such thing as going behind the
naturalization certificate for any cause, If 1t ID
IL, and al Tlv I OJpqn
simply, that it certifies to a judgment which
registration and election officers cannot set aside
The following resolution was adopted by
the Advisory Board upon this subject:
RESOLVED, That when assistant supervisors Of
registration refuse to register naturalZed cltl-
gems on the ground of their exhibiting fraudulent
naturalization papers, it is their duty to cause the
immediate arrest and prosecution OF said app!l-
'cants, and for that purpose at once to file sad
papers in court, to be used as evidence, but that
In no other cases can the said assistant supervls-
a1rs withhold said papers from said applicants SO
denied registration, but should return to them
The said papers. .
STATE OF LOUISIANA
Office State Registrar Of Voters, :
New Orleans, Oct. 2, 1874. }
TCircular No. 81
In consequence of the following resolution of
the Advisory Board of Registration, viz:
Rooms ADVISORY BOARD,
"New Orleans, La, Oct /, 1874.
t1Col. VIM. Wright, State Registrar OF voters:
Sri am instructed by The Advisory Board
TO transmit the following resolution this day
aadopted, viz:
"Resoired, That the Supervisors and Assistant
Supervisors Of Registration throughout the
State be instructed to permit the United States
supervisors Of Election to make lists OF all per-
sons who may have been registered the same to
lbe done xithout impeding registration and public
notice be requested to that effect.
81 have the honor to be respectfully.
s:(Signed) E. A. BURKE,
Secretary Of Board"
Supervisors and Assistant supervisors of Reg
istration are hereby instructed to extend all facil
titles to the United States Supervisors OF Election,
to enable them to comply with the above resolu-
ton, and allow such q list to be made by both
parties will verify the correctness OF the regis.
aration, wherever the same can be done without
delay to, or interruption OF, the proper work OF
their Offices WIN. WRIGHT,
State Registrar Of Voters.
WALTER g. LONG,
Chief Clerk State Registrar Of Voters:
Your letter Of this date is at hand, You ask if
fore gn-born colored men are entitled to registra-
ton without due proof Of their naturalization un-
der the laws of the United States.
10 tulS reply, tOHb they are uOL 81 eutlllcu
Until July IA, 1870, there was no way provided
by which such persons could become citizens Of
che United States On that day an act was ap-
proved (see page 256, Let hU. s. Stat.), extend
Gng tho benefits of the naturalization laws to
"aliens of African nativity"
The same proof OF naturalization should be
quired Of the coored alien born as is required Of
the white alien-born. Their is no distinction in
favor Of either race as to naturalization.
You inform me that Mr.. William Casey was
citizen of the Republic Of Texas before annexa.
ton, and ask what course he shall take to- secure
Let him offer proof of citizenship of Texas at
thot i,he named. That entities him to all rights
as United States citizen, precisely as if h. was
born in the United States.
One who has served term in the pententiary
has no more right to register than one under
age. II the Supervisor registers him he violates
State and United States law and can be prose-
cuted criminay.
The United States Supervisor any citizen
has right to challenge. such registration,
and the right to chaeng such vote on election
should be made in the shape Of affdavits to 60
before the Returning board after failure every
where else.
As to the case of John Monnerjahn, of
Twelfth Ward, who has lost his naturalization
papers, am Of opinion that his only course to
secure registration will be to send for duplicate
certihcate OF the Judgment OF the court that de-
creed him to be citizen.
That Will be the best evidence of his naturali-
cation at all events; and if he wishes to guard
against future trouble, let him record his 1udg-
n,eM OF naturalization here. His affidavit that
such Judgment was once rendered, does nos
prore that 1t was rendered.
United States Commissioner Byrne asks Mr..
MARI to refer him to the law authorizing United
states Commissioners to take evidence Of natur-
allied citizens who have lost certificates with q
view to voting on such affidavit.
There is no such law. The parties who have
lost their papers must send for certified copies.