Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-02-01
ABILL FOR THE REGISTRATION OF
VOTERS.

Hughes of Bernalillo county in the
council yesterday which provides for
creating the office Of registration of
voters, is n of the most important bills
before the legislature. 1t will tend to
modify the election laws and provide a
means for lessening the possibility of
election frauds.
The duties of the new office shall be
performed by the probate clerk Of each
county. He is required to ascertain and
make a record of the names of all per-
sons legally qualified to vote under the
elections laws Of the territory, which
record shall be kept in his Office open to
the inspection of any qualified elector in
the counties.
A qualified voter is declared to be n
who is a citizen of the United States. of
the age of 81 years, a resident OF the
territory for six months prior to the
holding of any general election: of the
county wherein he offers to vote, three
months, and in the precinct, 30 days
Immediately preceding the election.
The listo r record of voters shall be
made out by the probate clerk or under
his direction, in a book provided for that
purpose, and the m of all legally
qualified voters shall be recorded therein
alphabetically and according to the pre-
cincts of the county.
At any time during the calendar year,
except during the thirty days preced-
ing an election, any legally qualified
voter may demand that his name be
placed on the registration list of the
county, and by filing an affidavit to that
effect the names of any other legally
qualified voters may be placed on the
registration list. Any person who shall
make a false affidavit under the provi-
sions of this act, shall be deemed guilty
of perjury and shall be punished by law
as provided in other cases of perjury.
At least 80 days prior to the holding
of a general election, throughout the
counties of the territory, the probate
clerk shall copy into books prepared for
that purpose one for each precinct in
the county, the list of voters in such
precinct as they appear on the registra-
tion list in his office, and shall add to
the list his certificate that the list is a
true and correct copy of the registra-
tion list, and any person found chang
ing or altering said certified list, after
the INT shall have been delivered into
the hands of the judges of election, shall
be deemed guilty of a felony and upon
conviction thereof shall be imprisoned
in the territorial penitentiary for a
period not to exceed five years or less
than n year.
The probate clerk shall deliver said
registration books to the judges of cleo.
ton in each precinct at least six months
prior to the holding of a general election
and shall take their receipts for the
same.
The probate clerk shall revise the
registration list of his county at least
once during each calendar year, six
months prior to the holding of a general
election in the territory. At such revis-
ion, the probate clerk shall erase the
name of all persons known by him to
be dead, removed out of the county or
in any other manner disqualified as
voters.
Hereafter no registration of voters
shall be required for the election of
justices of the peace, constables or
school directors, and any person found
voting at any such election who is not a
qualified ~elector, shall be deemed guilty
of a felony and punished by imprison-
ment in the county jail for a period of
not less than three months nor more
than three years.
In incorporated cities, towns and VIII
lagos of the territory the registration of
voters shall be the same as provided for
the counties, except that all revisions,
additions or changes, must be made by
the probate clerk before the first day of
March of each year. The list of regis
tered voters for such cities, towns or
villages must be kept in a separate book
from the one used for other portions
of the county and the certified copy of
the registration list must be delivered
to the mayor, president of the board of
trustees OF other executive official of
the city, town or village, according to
wards or other legal subdivisions. The
names contained on the list shall be
entitled to vote at the election and no
others.
For his services as register of voters,
the probate clerks in the counties of
ColfaX. San Miguel, Santa Fe, Berna-
lilo, Socorro and Grant, shall receive
$780, In all other counties, $50.
The expense of sending out the regis
tration books must be borne by the
counties, cities and towns.
1t is claimed by the gentlemen who
favor the division of Colfax county that
there is a debt of about $75, 900 which
will be equally divided; that the taxable
property now amounts to nearly four
millions of dollars, which will also be
nearly evenly divided; that the two new
counties will each contain about 5000
population, and are abundantIy able to
sustain good county governments The
Republican legislative caucus com
mittee and the advisory committee
consisting of Delegate-elect Perea,
National Committeeman Luna and
Chairman Clark have the matter under
advisement.
A few corrections in II. B. No. 27
were decided on by the open house SEES
sion yesterday afternoon. The bill
pertains to the salaries of public Off
Gals, and as amended, reads: For pro-
bate judges-In counties of the first
class, 5000 per annum, in counties of the
second-class, $500; for counties of the
third-class, 5000, and counties Of the
fourth-class, $3.50. County assessors
Four per cent On all moneys collected
on assessments made by them. County
Observation-Disclosures, $500 per an
mum; second-class, $500; third-class, SITS,
and fourth-class, 1925, with mileage ut
the rate of 5 cents.
Hon. M. w. Mills, of Springer, left for
his home last night and will return in a
day or so with a large delegation of
citizens from southern Colfax who favor
county division. Mr.. Mills is a rustler
in law, in business and in politics. Mr..
Mills says the measure, If enacted, would
prove of great benefit to the Republican