Year: 1867

l. Registration shall commence Immediately
upon the PRONUNCIATION of this order.


II. Post Commanders will be Superintendents
of registration within their respective commands,
exercising, in addition to the functions hereinaf-
ter specially conferred a general supervisory au-
thority, looking to the faithful execution of the
several Reconstruction Acts, the maintenance of
order, and the protection of political rights.
They will suspend registrars for malfeasance in
office, neglect of duty, or incompetency, prompt
ly reporting their action, with the reasons there
for, to these Headquarters.


III. The Boards ofRegistration are empowered
and required to suppress all disorders interfering
with the execution OF their duties to cause the
rest and confinement of all persons falsely taking
the oath prescribed, all persons committing any
breach OF the peace or conducting themselves in
manner tending thereto, and all persons who
shall threaten or otherwise attempt to intimidate
or corruptly or improperly influence any citizen
offering to register; and for this purpose they
may apply for aid to the Post Commander, and
may require the attendance and services OF sher-
iffs, their deputies, constables, policemen, and
also of any citizen; and all State, district county
and town officers charged with the preservation
of the public peace, as well as all citizens. are
required to obey the orders of said Boards, given
in pursuance of the authority afol esaid and to
perform all such acts and duties as may be re-
quisite therefor


All arrests made as herein provided will be
promptly reported to the Post Commander, to
whom also the prisoners will be turned over with





as provided in Circular of May Is, 1867, from
these Headquarters, and any civil officer citi-
falling to respond to the call of the Board for
assistance will be dealt with in like manner.


". Whenever any citizen shall suffer injury in
person, family or property, while exercising or
seeking to exercise the right of registra-
tion, in addition to any penalty prescribed by
law for the offence, damages shall be awarded to
the injured party against the perpetrator, upon
his conviction; and in case of default in payment
of the same, of the escape of the offender ifit
shall appear that the wrong was countenanced, or
the offender harbored or concealed by the neigh
borhood, or that the civil authorities failed to
employ proper measures to preserve the peace,
the damages shall be assessed against and paid
by the town, county or district.


V. Offences perpetrated by white persons dis
guised as blacks, being of frequent occurrence,
the attention Of all authorities, civil and militia
ry is directed to the device, as one adopted to
escape detection, and to cast unmerited obloquy
upon the colored people. In all cases, wnen re-
sort thereto shall be shown, the fact will be taken
into consideration as aggraIating the offence.


VI. Depriving a citizen of any right benefit or
advantage of hire or employment, to discourage
him from registering, or on account of his having
registered, or having sought to register, shall be
deemed an offence punishable by the Post Court,
and shall entitle the injured party to damages
against the offender, any clause in any contract
or agreement to the contrary notwithstanding.


VII The Act of Congress entitled 'An Act for
the more efficient government of the rebel
States" and the several Acts supplementary
thereto, will be carefully observed by all Boards
of Registration.


oath prescribed by the Act ofCongressofJ July I'd,
1862, entitled ''An Act to prescribe oath of Of
fice," (See Appendix, form ~ choose one of its
members as chairman, wEo shall preside at all
sessions Of the Boards, preserve order at its
meetings for registration, and represent the
Board, and announce its action in all matters
coming before it.


TX. The places of session of the Boards shall be
the voting places established by law or custom
in each election precinct, unless for good cause
otherwise directed by the Post Commander


X Each Board shall determine the order in
which the registration shall take place in the
eral election precincts that may be assigned to
il by the Post Commander, and the time which
shall be allotted to each-bearing in mind that
the whole work is to be finished before the first
day of October.


XI. Each Board shall, forthwith upon notice
of publication OF this order, and at least five days
before commencing registration, give notice
thereofto the Post Commander, and the sheriff,
and the mayor of the city or the intendant of the
town, and shall cause written or printed notices
to be posted in five of the most public places in
each election precinct, announcing the time when
and the place where its sessions will be held, the
number of days Gn no case less than two,) and
the hours the Cay the Board will remain in
session at each place for the purpose of registra-
tion and inviting all persons qualified to vote
under the provisions OF the Act OF Congress



vide tor the more efficient government of the
rebel States" and the several Acts supplementary
thereto, to appear before the Board for registra-
ton.


XII On the day and at the hour designated in
the notices, for commencing registration, the
Board shall, at the place announced, convene and
enter upon its duties, and shall then and there
also post notices of the time of final sessions
provided for in paragraph XIX.


XIII The room used for registration, which
the chairman shall have previously provided for
the purpose, shall be so arranged that the Board
shall be separated by bar from all other persons
who NAV be assembled, and those to be registered
shall be admitted within the bar, one by one, and
their ingress and egress so arranged as to avoid
confusion.


XIV. Two citizens shall be admitted within
the bar as challengers, whose duty it shall be to
challenge the right of any citizen offering to reg
lister, upon any of the grounds of disqualification
enumerated in the Acts of Congress before cited;
but the general right of challenge shall be con-
ceded to all citizens present.


XIV. If any challenge be made, the Board shall,
before final decision, examine the person pre-
senting himself for registration, in reference to
the cause of disqualification alleged, and shall
hear any evidence that may be offered, to sub,
stantiate or disprove the cause OF challenge, and
shall have power to summon and compel the at
tendance of witnesses and administer oaths in
any case of registration.


XVI. In registering, the names of white and
colored citizens shall be entered alphabetically,
in separate columns of the list.


XVII. The following shall be the process OF
registering:


First. Every citizen presenting himself for reg
istry shall take and subscribe the oath prescribed
by law, (See AppendiI, form ~ which shall be
administered by amember of the Board, and such
oath shall be preserved with the lists.


Second His name shall then be entered in the
proper column of the list, and called out by the
chairman.


Third Any challenge made shall be noted in
the proper column, opposite the name, with the
cause thereof


Fourth 1t is recommended to Boards to deter
the hearing and decision of contested cases until
the session for revision provided Tor in paragraph
XIX.


Fifth Whether or not there be any challenge,
the Board must ascertain upon such facts or ia
formation as can be obtained, that the applicant
is entitled to be registered before marking his
name as ssaccepted''-the oath not being conclu-
sive. o,.


Sirth. Section of the Act of July 10Th, 1867,
declares that no citizen shall be entitled to be
registered by reason of any executive pardon or
amnesty for any act or thing which, without such
parGon or amnesty, would disquality him from
registration. "


Seventh Boards will take notice that it is enact.
ed by Section of the Act of July 18th, 1867, that
the true intent and meaning of the oath prescribed
in said supplementary Act is, (among othel
thinps,l that no person who has been member
of the Legislature of any State, or who has held
any executive or judicial Office in any State
whether he has taken an oath to support the Con
stitution of the United States or not, and wheth
er he was holding such Office at the commence
ment of the rebellion, or had held it before, anG
who has afterwards engaged in insurrection OF
or comfort to the enemies thereof, is entitled te
ba reeistered or tn vote and the words SeXecu