Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 16.djvu/455

FORTY-FIRST CONGRESS. Sess. III. Ch. 62. 1871. 421 the election and the returns thereof, prescribe the time, places, and man- Elections or ner of conducting such election, and make all needful rules and regula- d°l°S”°*? tions for carrying into effect the provisions of this act not otherwise herein provided tor: Provided, That the first election shall be held within when to be sixty days from the passage of this act. In the first and all subsequent h°g·umm to elections the persons having the highest number of legal votes for the elect y house of delegates, respectively, shall be declared by the governor duly elected members of said house. In case two or more persons voted for New election, shall have an equal number of votes for the same office, or if a vacancy if Y°*° is °‘}““'· shall occur in the house of delegates, the governor shall order a new me 0 vb election. And the persons thus appointed and elected to the legislative Time and assembly shall meet at such time and at such place within the District as Pl¤°°°im°°*l¤H· the governor shall appoint; but thereafter the time, place, and manner of holding and conducting all elections by the people, and the formatio`n of the districts for members of the council and house of delegates, shall be prescribed by law, as well as the day of the commencement of the regular Sessions not to sessions of the legislative assembly : Provided, That no session in any one g§°:°‘;;";*{ the year shall exceed the term of sixty days, except the first session, which 5,,3;] c P may continue one hundred days. S20. 6. And be itfiarther enacted, That the legislative assembly shall _Pm or dis-_ have power to divide that portion of the District not included in the ;Q3’:d’?l;*;)l;§‘g; corporate limits of Wznshington or Georgetown into townships, not Engg, exceeding three, and create township officers, and prescribe the duties Towmhi °(._ thereof; but all township officers shall be elected by the people of the gem, P townships respectively. Sec. 7. And be itfwrther enacted, That all male citizens of the United Votersttheir States, above the age of twenty-one years, who shall have been actual }l‘;“l‘6°“"°“S* residents of said District for three months prior to the passage of this ` act, except such as are non compos mentis and persons convicted of infamous crimes, shall be entitled to vote at said election, in the election district or precinct in which he shall then reside, and shall have so resided for thirty days immediately preceding said election, and shall' be eligible to any 0Hi:e·within the said District, and for all subsequent elections twelve months’ prior residence shall be required to constitute Right ofsnfa voter; but the legislative assembly shall have no right to abridge or ggé; °° b° limit the right of suffrage. 8 ` Sec. 8. And be itfurthar enucteeL That no person who has been or Certain perhereafter shall be convicted of bribery, perjury, or other infamous crime, $,:3; giflxggllfed nor any person who has been or may be a collector or holder of public Ship in the aB_ moneys who shall not have accounted for and paid over, upon final judg- sembly or lx0ldment duly recovered accoxxding to law, all such moneys due from him, mg °$°°‘ shall be eligible to the legislative assembly or to any office of profit or trust in said District. ` Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That members of the legislative Oath of meniassembly, before they enter upon their official duties, shall take and?:§jg2;‘:K1g§§i‘ subscribe the following oath or aiiirmation: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and will faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; and that I have not knowingly or intentionally paid or contributed anythlng, or made any promise in the nature of a bribe, to directly or indirectly influence any vote at the election at which I was chosen to fill the said office, and have not accepted, nor will I accept, or receive, directly or indirectly, any money or other valuable thing for any vote or influence that I may give or withhold on any bill, resolution, or appropriation, or for any other official act."Any member who shall 59E25g2z58E; refuse to take the oath herein prescribed shall forfeit his office, and every ° person who shall beconvictcd of having sworn falsely to or of violating Falseoath,&c. his said oath shall forfeit his office and be disqualined thereafter from ;g‘g§‘|““l‘@’”¤d _ . . . . `p€l‘J'l1I'y. holding any office of profit or trust in sand District, and shall be