Year: 1863




didates fn- this county have been busy in cir
eulating story among the people that the
law allowing volunteers to vote for State and
county Offices, at the next general election,
provides that the officers of the several mill
tary commands hare authority to cast the
votes of the men under their charge for such
candidates as they may desire to see elected.
For the purpose of enabling the people to see
to what desperate lies and falsi6eations these
Ccpperheads resort for the purpose of preju-
dicing the minds Of voters, We give below a
few sections of the law, passed last winter,
which authorizes the California volunteers to
vote:


SEC. 4. On the day fixed by law for hold
ing the State election for the year A. D.,
eighteen hundred and sixty three, ballot
box, or other suitable receptacle for votes,
shall be opened, and votes received from the
electors whose names are upon said list at
each place where regiment, detachment of
regiment battalion, squadron, or bat
terry of California soldiers in the service of
the United States may be on that day, at
which time and place the electors whose
names are upon said list belonging to such
regiment, detachment squadron, or battery
shall be entitled to vote for all officers for
which, by reason of their residence in the
several counties of this State, they are au-
thorized to vote, as fully as they would be
entitled to vote at elections in the several
counties and districts in which they reside
and the votes so given by such electors at
such time and place, shall be considered, ta-
ken, and held to have been given by them
in the respective counties of which they are
residents. Such ballot box or other recepta
Gle for votes, shall be opened and such votes
received under the supervision and charge of
the three highest or senior officers in COM
mand of such regiment, detachment, squad
ron, or battery in which shall be deposited
by said electors ballots for all officers for
whom, under the provisions of this Act, they
are entitled to vote, which ballots shall have
the name and Office of the persons voted for,
fairly written OF printed on one piece of pa
per. The name of each elector voting as
aforesaid shall be checked at the time of vo-
ting by one cf the officers having charge of
the ballot box as aforesaid, upon the list
furnished, and the officers receiving said
votes shall exercise due care and diligence
to prevent any soldier voting by mistake for
any officer except such as he is entitled to
vote for; but no officer shall open or exam
inc any ballot before the Same shall be de-
posted il the ballot box. Said box shall be
opened, if practicable. at nine O'Clock in
the morning of said day, or, if not then, at
such hour in said day as may be agreed up
on by the officers whose duty it is to open
the same. and shall remain open a sufficient
length of tine to. enable the electors belong
ing to said regiment, detachment, battal-
ion, squadron, or battery, to vote, and one
hours notice shall be publicly given by the
commanding officers before closing said box !;
and when said box shall have been closed,
the votes shall be, as soon as possible there
after, counted by the officers having charge
of said ballot box, or persons by them ap-
pointed.


Sec. 5. When such shall have been
counted, all the ballots cast, together with
the voting list, checked as aforesaid, shall
be scaled up by the commanding officer, and
be by him forthwith transmitted, by mail or
otherwise: to the Secretary of State at Sac
ran ento, and said commanding officer shall
also make out and certify duplicate returns
of votes given, according to the forms here
matter prescribed, seal up, and forthwith
transmit the same by separate conveyanees
to the Secretary of State at Sacramento.


SEC. I. Any commanding officer who
shall neglect or refuse to make such return
of votes as is provided in the fifth and
sixth sections of this Act, or who shall
make false or fraudulent return of such
votes. and any officer who shall, by COM
mand, threats or promises of any advantage
or preferment, or in any other improper
manner, endeavor to control or influence the
Nf
control, or in like manner endeavor to pre-
vent or induce any soldier to refrain from
voting for any particular candidate or can
didates for whom such soldier has a right to
vote, as provided by this Act, such officer
of two hundred dollars, one half to him who
shall prosecute to effect, and the other half
to the Treasury of the county IN which pros
ecution for said offence shall be commenced.
and any act so committed shall be consid-
cred, taken. and held to have been commit
ted by such officer within the jurisdiction of
this. State. and such officer shall be liable to
be prosecuted for such offense before any
Justice of the Peace in any county of this
State, at any time within one year after such
officer shall return to reside in this State :;
and if satisfactory evidence be presented to
the Governor of this State that any officer
has been guilty of any of the offences speci
fed in this Act, it shall be the duty of the
Governor Immediately to cause such evidence
to be transmitted to the President of the Uni
ted States, with the mest urgent solicitations
that the commission of such officer be re-
voked, and his name stricken from the army
roll


Thus it will be seen that each volunteer
will have the right to cast his vote for any
candidate, as freely, and without any dicta-
ton on the part of the officers of his regiment
or company, as he would have, if he should
cast his vote at the polls in any precinct in
the county And the return of his vote will
be as surely counted for the candidates he
voted for, as it would be were it returned by
any of the officers of election within the coun-
ty.


If it in anywise grati6es you to see all par
ties to a trade satisfied, look in at Houston,