Year: 1863

in case ofthe election of Governor. The officers con
duclng the election at the Court Houses OF the
counties shall meet at the Court House OF the count.
corporation first named in the law descr blng suel
districts which may not be in the possession or pow
er of the public enemy, on certain day after ina
appointed by law fer the OF such elec
tion which certain day. in the case OF an eiectioi
from dstrietef asdelegate shall be the eghth, OF
senator, shalkbethe twelfth, and OF Tepreeentatlv
in Congress shah be the fifteenth after such com
mencemen& They shall compare the returns IRON
their re ective countless shall declare elected th
person having the greatest number OF votes In tn'
whole district. II The greatest number OF votes o.
equal for two or more persons, the omcers atIenos
shall decide to which of them they will give the Ger
ticate of election and it the votes of said officers b
equal aso They shall decide forthwith by lot hon
such certificate Shall be given. A notice OF SAID eec
shall forthwith be given at the door OF the court
house where tbesneetng is held In case OF specla
elections sdppiy yaeanoies the time for the meet
ing of the returning officers sall De earlier requi
red in the writ of election provided that during tht
existing war; IL all elections for members OF the
House of Representatives of the Confederate States
the officer conducting the election OF the Court hou
ses of the several counties shall transmit the certified
statement of the result of the election IN his county
herein above required by mail prepaying the postage
thereon to the Secretary of the wealth. with


in twenty days after the commencementot OF such elec
| tion.


s. 1t shall be the duty of the Secretary Of the Com
monwealth, within thirty days from the commence
ment of any such election mentioned in the pre-





aforesaid, and certify the state of the same to the
Governor, who shall declare and make proclamation
of the result and in two candidates have
an equal number of votes tor the office, the Gov
shall decide by lot to whom the return shall be
given, and declare the result accordingly.
g. Be 1t further enacted, that upon the receipt o
any polls under the provisions of the ordinance (No
99) passed December the 6th 1861, the Secretary OF
the Commonwealth shall perform the duties required
| by law TO be performed by the commissioners and
officers conduct the elections at the Courthouse,
by either of them, in the manner he is required
by law in such polls had been received by him
from the county district for which the election
had; and all other proceedings shall be the same
| in such cases.


z Be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty
| of the Governor of the Commonwealth to issue his
proclamation, giving notice the qualified voters OF
Confederate States, or who may be absent from the
county corporation OF their residence, because Of
the presence Of the public enemy, OF their right
for members OF the General Assembly, by virtue
the provisions OF the first, second and fourth sec
tions OF the ordinance passed by the Convention Of
Virginia (No. 99) the 9th day of December, 1861,
and also to all to whom IT may concern, of the pas
sage of this act and OF the rights and duties set forth


in its prOvlsIOns and it shall further be his duty
request the President of the Confederate States to is
sue order to all commandants of camps posts and
detachments in command of Virginia troops, requl-
ring them give heir aid in the due execution CT
the ordinance aforesaid and of this act .
s. The result of the camps and the resu 1t
OF the votes OF persons absent from their counties,
cities towns by of the presence of the
my, shall be forwarded by mail when practicable, d.
rected to the Secretary OF the Commonwealth, when
requred to be returned to said Secretary and directed
to the clerk Of the county city, town. when requl
red to be returned to the county, city town. The
officer conducting such elections shall forward the
suit and preserve duplicate of the result be
forwarded verified by certificates Of the officer and by
not less than two other disinterested persons.
8. This act shall be in force from its passage.


VIM. F. GORDON, Jr
Q. II. d. Il K OF Z. OF Va.
AN ORDINANCE


To authorize the qualified voters of the Commonwealth


who may be In the military service of the State


the Confederate States, to vote for members OF the
General Assembly within their encampments; and
authorizing the General Assembly to make such
laws may be requisite to give the qualified voters


in the military service of the State the COneder
ate States, On the day OF any election under the


Constitution the right to vote within their encamp
ments at such elections, and authorizing the citi
OF any county corporation, absent therefrom
because of the presence of the public enemy, who
would be qualified to vote for members of the Gen
eral Assembly, IN such county or corporation, to
vote at any general special elections for members


of the General Assembly for the counties corpa-
ratlonS.


Passed December 6, 1861.
i. Be it ordained that the qualified voters of this
Commonwealth, who may be In the military service
the State of the Confederate States the day
any general or special election for the General As
sembly, may in said elections at such place
places within their encampment as the commander at
such encampment shall designate, whether the said
encamp pment shall be within the limits of this State
or not.


2. For each place of voting the commander of the
encampment shall appoint superintendent three
commissioners and many clerks shall be
sary, who, after being first duly sworn by him, shall
perform the duties required Of and be liable to the
penalties imposed upon such officers by the election


laws of the State. The said shall open
polls for the counties and corporations of the State
from which there may be voters the said encamp-
ment desiring to vote. The qualified voters who pre-
themselves to else the right OF Suffrage shall
be each asked TO the county corporation OF
his residence, and shall be allowed to vote to repre-
sent the county in which he resides, and his name
shall be headed in the poll book opened for his county
or corporation


the commissioners holding said election shall make a
certified statement of the result ofthe election in such
tencanpment tor each county for which poll was
epened and shall deliver the statement made and
the poll book to the commander of the encampment,
who shall forthwith appoint person whose duty
shall be to take the poll book and the statement Of
the result to the court of the county for which
said election held and to deliver the same the
officer conducting the election the courthouse of
said county; but if said county in possession of the
public enemy then deliver the same the secreta-
ry Of the Commonwealth All other proceedings shall
be the as prescribed by the election laws of the
| State.


g. Power is hereby given the General Assembly to
make such laws during the existing between the
Confederate States and the President of the United
States as be requisite to authorize the qualified
voters OF the Commonwealth, who may be in the mil
ltary service of the State the day of any election
under the Constitution 60 vote within their encamp-
ment at such election,


f. The citizens ofany county or corporation absent
thererom because Of the presence of the public
N.Y. who uld bequalifed TO vote for mem bers of the
General Assembly In such county corporation, NAV
during the continuance of the present war, vote al
any general or special election for members of the
General Assembly for their counties corporations
at the Courthouse Of any county corporation in the
State where they may happen be on the day of said
election and returns shall be made and certificates
given in the notice prescribed by Iaw-Tap2 265ts

HONEST CONFESSION.
| The New York World acknowledges that our
troops fought better in the late battles than the
| Yankees. 1t ssowns up'' in the following Ian
guage:


"We say it reluctantly, and for the first asime,
that the enemy have showed the finest qualities