The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-08-06
Which was read.
MAJORITY l}EPoRT !


Very respectfully,
A. :. MANN. Chairman.
Which was read
| MAJORITY REPORT
ARTICLE XIV.
SUFFRAGE AND ELIGIBILITY
SECTION |. Every male person of the age Of
| tWenty-une years and upwards, who shall at the
| time OF Offering Ia vote, be citizen ot the
/ nlled States, or who shall have declared his
intention to become such in conformity to the
| laws of the Cnited States and who shall have
resided and had his habtainn, ,lnmicilc home
and pace of permanent abode in Florida tor one
! year, and in The county for SIX months next nrt-
! cetiiny the election at which he shall utf,r 10
| vote, shall IN such county bc deemed a qualified
! clector at all election, under this Constitution
! Every elcctor shall, at the time OF hts
| registration, take and subscribe to the following
! oath " | do Solcmnly swear or affirm that |
| will protect and defend the Constitution of the
| Uniied State, and of the State ot Florida that |
am lwcniy-one years of age and have been "A
resident of The State OF Florida for twelve
II onthS and of this county six months, and |
am qualified 10 vote under the Constitution of
| the State of Florida"
SEC ,. No person unler guardianship, nan
r,ml""S "nhtiS orns, me shall he qualified t" vote
! AT any clcction, nor shall any person convicted,
! OF felony 10y court OF record be qualified to
! vote at any election unless restored to civil
| rights.
/ SEC 3 The Legislature shall have power and
shall enact The necessary lave to exclude from
every office OF honor power, trust or pr pt, civil
or military, within the State, and from the right
OF suffrage, all persons convicted of bribery per
! Jnrv larceny, or of Infamous crime, or who shall
make or become directly ar indirectly interested
! III any bet or wager, the result of which shall
! depend on any election, or who shall hereafter
! fight Il duel or send or accept challcnrr to
! fight, or who shall be a second 10 either party
! or be The bearer OF such Challange or accept
ance bnt the legal disability Shall not accrue
unlil after trial and conviction by due form of
! OF law.
/ SEQ. I. Any person who shall give or prom.
/ ise or OTTER 10 give to an cleCtOr any money re-
ward or other valuable consideration for his
vote at An election in this State or for with.
holding the same, or who shall give or promise
to give such consideration 10 any other person
or party Tor such electors vote or for the with
holding thereof, and any eleCtOr who shall re
ceive or agree to receive for himself or for an
other, any money, reward or other valuable con
/ sldcratIOn Tor his vote at an election. or for
Withholding the same, shall thereby forfeit the
right to vote at such election, but ANY elcctor
whose right to vote shall be challenged for such
( cause before the election officers shall be re.
qured to swear or affirm that the matter of the
challenge is untrue, when his vote shall be re
ccived
SEC. ) Any person who shall, while canli,
date Tor office, be guilty of bribery fraud, or
wlful violation of any election tw shall be tor
ever disqualified from holding an office Of trust
or profit under the laws OF this State and any
person convicted of Wltul violation of the clec.
ton laws shall, in addition To any penalties pro-
vided by law, be deprived of the right of snf-
tragc absolutely for a term of years
SEC. 6. In all elections by the Legislature the
vote shall be riul ror, and in all elections by
the people the vote shall be by ballot
SEC. = The Legislature, at It's first session
after the ratification of this Constitution shall
by law provide tor The registration of all the
legally qualified voters in each county, and for
the returns of elections; and shall also provide
that after the completion, from the time of such
registration, no person not duly registered nc.
cording 10 law shall be allowed To vote
SEC ). At any election at which citizen or
subject Of any foreign country shall offer to vote
under the provisions of this Constitution if
required by any elcctor, shall produce to the
persons lawfully authorized to conduct and
supervise such election, duly sealed and certi-
fled copy OF his declaration of intention,
and if unable to do by reason that
such copy cannot be obtained at The time
of said election, he shall be allowed to
make affidavit before a proper officer setting
forth the reason why he is unable to furnish such
certificate and il said affidavit proves satisfactory
to the Inspectors they shall allow said elcctur to
cast his vote, and any naturaZed citizen offer
ing to vote shall ii SO required by any clectOr,
produce his certificate of naturalization, or duly
certified copy thereof and IN the event said cleo
tor cannot produce the same he shall be allowed
to make affidavit before proper officer, stating
in full The reason why it cannot be furnished,
and il satisfactory 10 the Inspectors Of said cleo
ton said clectOr shall he allowed TO vote at said
election.
SEC. g. The Legislature shall enact such laws
will preserve the purity OF the ballot given un
der this Constitution
TO BE VOTED UPON SEPARATE FROM THE con
sTITTTION, TO BECOME A PART OF THE CON
sTITITTION IF ADOPTED
That in addition to the requisite qualifications
of an elector of this State rected in section
! of this Article No person shall be deemed
such qualified eleclOr until he shall have paid
each year captatiOn tax not TO exceed one dol
lar as Shall be provided by law.
Mr. Pcot, of the Committee on Suffrage aud
Eligibility, offered the minority report:
CONVENTION HALL,
TALLAHASSEE FLA, July 81, 1885.
Hon SAMUEL PAsCo,
President of the C1noention
SIR We, the undersigned, minority of the
Committee on Suffrage aud Eligibility, would
respectfully submit that while We agree mainly
with the report fthe committee, we are not in
favor of adopting as separate ordinance the
matter of u poll tax as a qualification for voting,
believing that it should be left in the power of
the Legislature, in order that they, representing
the people, may impose such prerequisite, and
in case the operation of the law should be such
as would be detrimental to the public good, the
same may be abolished. We would further sub
nit that section of the committees original re-
port is fully provided for in other sections OF the
report. and in a less Objectionable way and we
believe that in practice the operation of said
section would be found oppressive, obstructive
and mischIevous; and We further believe that
il is in con,ravenlon of the Bill of Rights We
would, therefore, as embodying our views, re,
specttully submit the following report and
recommend its adoption.
Very respectfully,
j. G. PELoT,
w. T. ORMAN,
f. L. ODOM