Year: 1866

+. Whole Thing In Fun.


AN ACT to alter and amend an Act, entitled An


Act to Limit the Elective Franchise, passed june


5, 1865.


Section /. Be it enacted by the General
Assembly of the State of Tennessee, That
every white male inhabitant of this State, Of
the age of twenty-one years, a citizen of the
United States and resident of the county
wherein he may offer his vote, six months
next preceding the day of election, shall
be entitled to the privilege of the elective
franchise, subject to the following exeep-
tiona aud disqualifestions, to Wit


First, Said voter shall have never borne
arms against the Government Of the q asled
States for the purpose ofaiding ehe late re-
bellion, nor have voluntarily given aid.
comfort, eountenance, counsel, OF eneour-
agement to any rebellion against the au-
thority of the United States Government,
nor aided, contenanced or encouraged acts
of hostility thereto.


Second, That said voter shall have never
sought, or voluntarily accepted any Office,
civil or military, or attempted to exercise
the functions Of any office, civil or military,
under the authority or pretended authority
of the so-called Confederate States of
America, or of any insurrectionary State
whatever, hostile or opposed to the authOri-
ty of the United States Government, with
the intent and desire to aid said rebellion
or insurrectionary authority.


Third, That said voter shall have never
voluntarily supported any pretended gov
ernment, power or authority hostile or ia-
imical to the authority of the United States,
by contributions in money or property, by
persuasion or influence, or in any other way
whatever. Provided, That the foregoing
restrictions and disqualification shall not
apply to any white citizen who may have
served in and been honorably discharged
from the army or navy of the United States
since the 1st day of January, 1862, nor to
those who voted in the Presidential election
in November, 1864, or voted in the cleo
tion for Ratification or Rejection" in Feb
ruary, 1865, or voted in the election held
on the 4th day of March of the same year
for Governor and members of the Legisla-
ture, nor to those who have been appointed
to any civil or military Office by Andrew
johnson, Military Governor, or VIM. G.
Brownlow, Governor of Tennessee, all of
whom are hereby declared to be qualified
voters upon their complying with the re-
quirements of this act. Provided, That
this latter clause shall not apply to any COM
mission issued upon any election which
may have been held.


Sec. Q. Be it further enacted, That the
Governor of the State shall, within sixty
days after the passage of this act, appoint
Commissioner of Registration for each and
every county in the State, who shall, with
out delay, enter upon the discharge Of his
duties, and who shall have full power to
administer the necessary oaths provided by
this act The said Commissioner, before
entering upon the duties of his Office, shall
take and subscribe an oath to support the
Constitution of the United States and the
Constitution of the State of Tennessee, and
to faithfully discharge the duties of his
Office, and also the oath prescribed in Sec.
of this act, which oath shall be filed in
the Office Of the Secretary of State.
This said Commissioner shall keep his
Office at the county seat of the county, and
| it shall be his duty to take the proof requir-
ed by this act, and to register the names of
each and every qualified voter, and to tissue
certificate that each and every qualified
voter is entitled to the Elective Franchise,
and he shall preserve and keep the neces-
sary records of his Office, and shall receive
from the Treasury of the State the sum of
one hundred dollars to be paid upon the
warrant of the Comptroller of the State; and
said Commissioners shall make report to
the County Court, at each quarterly session
thereof, showing the number Of votes regis
tered previous to said quarterly session.
provided thai al sums Of money paid By
said Commissioner for the United States
Revenue stamps in the discharge of his
duty, shall be credited and paid out of the
County Treasury.


Sec. 8. Be it further enacted, That said
commissioner shall issue certificates of reg
istration to every white soldier who may
have served in, and been honorably dis
charged from the army or navy of the
United States since the said first day Oi
January, 1869, upon the production of the
proper Certificate of such service and dis
charge, or legal evidence of the4Oss of such
discharge. Said commissioner shall issue
certificates of registration to all those who
voted in the said November, February and


March elections, upon production of the


poll books of the election at which said
voter voted, or a certified copy, under oath


of such poll book in case the voter may


have removed to another county. or upor


the affidavit of two enfranchised citizeng


known to the commissioner to have beel
, unconditional Union men throughout th


rebellion, in case said poll books may b


lost.