or navy of the United States shall be deemed a resident of this State, in consequence of his being stationed within the same.

Laws may be passed excluding from the right of suffrage all persons who have been, or may be convicted of bribery, or larceny, or of any infamous crime, and depriving every person who shall make, or become directly interested in any bet or wager, depending upon the result of any election, from the right to vote at such election.

TEXAS

Every free male person who shall have attained the age of twenty-one years, and who shall be a citizen of the United States, or who is at the time of the adoption of this constitution by the Congress of the United States, a citizen of the Republic of Texas, and shall have resided in this State one year next preceding an election, and the last six months within the district, county, city, or town, in which he offers to vote, (Indians not taxed, Africans, and descendants of Africans excepted,) shall be deemed a qualified elector: and should such qualified happen to be in any other county, situated in the district in which he resides, at the time of an election, he shall · be permitted to vote for any district officer; provided, that the qualified electors shall be permitted to vote anywhere in the State for State officers, and provided further, that no soldier, seaman, or marine in the army or navy of the United States, shall be entitled to vote at any election created by this constitution.

All free male persons over the age of twenty-one years, (Indians not taxed, Africans and descendants of Africans excepted) who shall have resided six months in Texas, immediately preceding the acceptance of this constitution by the Congress of the United States, shall be deemed qualified electors.

Electors in all cases shall be privileged from arrest during their attendance at elections, in going to and returning from the same, except in cases of treason, felony or breach of the

peace.

24

CALIFORNIA.

Every white male citizen of the United States, and every white male citizen of Mexico who shall have elected to become a citizen of the United States, under the treaty of peace exchanged and ratified at Queretaro, on the 30th of May, 1848, of the age of twenty-one years, who shall have been a resident of the State six months next preceding the election, and the county or district in which he claims his vote thirty days, shall be entitled to vote at all elections which are now or hereafter may be authorized by law: Provided, that nothing herein contained shall be construed to prevent the legislature, by a two-thirds concurrent vote, from admitting to the right of suffrage Indians or the descendants of Indians, in such special cases as such a proportion of the legislative body may deem just and

proper.

Electors shall in all cases, except treason, felony or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest on the days of election, during their attendance at such election, going and returning therefrom.

No elector shall be obliged to perform militia duty on the day of election, except in time of war or public danger.

For the purpose of voting, no person shall be deemed to have gained or lost a residence by reason of his presence or absence while employed in the service of the United States; nor while engaged in the navigation of the waters of this State, or of the United States, or of the high seas: nor while a student in any seminary of learning, nor while kept at any almshouse, or other asylum, at public expense; nor while confined in any public prison.

No idiot or insane person, or person convicted of any infamous crime, shall be entitled to the privileges of an elector. All elections by the people shall be by ballot.

OREGON TERRITORY.

ORGANIC LAW.

Every white male inhabitant above the age of twenty-one years, who shall have been a resident of said Territory at the time of the passage of this act, and shall possess the qualifications hereinafter prescribed, shall be entitled to vote at the

first election, and shall be eligible to any office within the said Territory; but the qualifications of voters and of holding office, at all subsequent elections, shall be such as shall be prescribed by the legislative assembly: Provided, That the right of suffrage and of holding office shall be exercised only by citizens of the United States above the age of twenty-one years, and those above that age who shall have declared, on oath, their intention to become such, and shall have taken an oath to support the Constitution of the United States and the provisions of this act: And provided further, That no officer, soldier, seaman, or marine, or other person in the army or navy of the United States, or attached to troops in the service of the United States, shall be allowed to vote in said Territory, by reason of being on service therein, unless said Territory is and has been for the period of six months his permanent domicil: Provided further, That no person belonging to the army or navy of the United States shall ever be elected to or hold any civil office or appointment in said Territory.

NEW MEXICO.

ORGANIC LAW.

Every free white male inhabitant above the age of twentyone years, who shall have been a resident of said Territory at the time of the passage of this act, shall be entitled to vote at the first election, and shall be eligible to any office within the said Territory; but the qualifications of voters and of holding office, at all subsequent elections, shall be such as shall be prescribed by the legislative assembly. Provided, That the right of suffrage, and of holding office, shall be exercised only by citizens of the United States, including those recognised as citizens by the treaty with the Republic of Mexico, concluded February second, eighteen hundred and forty-eight.

EXTRACT FROM TREATY.

Mexicans now established in territories previously belonging to Mexico, and which remain for the future within the limits of the United States, as defined by the present treaty, shall be free to continue where they now reside, or to remove at any time to the Mexican Republic, retaining the property which they possessed in the said territories, or disposing there

of and removing the proceeds wherever they please, without their being subjected on this account to any contribution, tax, or charge whatever.

Those who shall prefer to remain in the said territories, may either retain the title and rights of Mexican citizens, or acquire those of the United States. But they shall be under the obligation to make their election within one year from the date of the exchange of the ratifications of this treaty; and those who shall remain in said territories after the expiration of that year, without having declared their intention to retain the character of Mexicans, shall be considered to have elected to become citizens of the United States.

LEGISLATIVE ACTS OF 1851-2.

Every white male citizen of the United States, over twentyone years of age, who shall have resided in the Territory one year, and in the county which he offers to vote, for three months, shall be entitled to vote and be elected to office in any election provided for in this act, unless in the case hereinafter specified.

All males above twenty-four years of age shall be eligible for the house of representatives and for probate judge. For delegates to Congress, all over twenty-five years of age-for members of council, all over thirty years of age, until otherwise provided by law.

No person prevented by the organic law of the Territory, no officer or soldier of the United States army, and no person included in the term "Camp followers" of the United States army, shall be entitled to vote or hold office in this Territory.

LEGISLATIVE ACTS OF 1853-4.

That every person who is now a native citizen of the United States or adopted citizen of this Territory, who may present himself to vote at any election in this Territory, shall be examined by the judges of election in whose precinct he may apply to vote, and proving to the satisfaction of the said judges that he has legal letters of naturalization or of citizenship, he shall be allowed to vote; but should there still exist doubts of his right to vote, they shall act in accordance with the provisions of section 46* of the present law of election.

That the Pueblo Indians of this Territory, for the present, and until they shall be declared, by the Congress of the United

*Section 46 merely requires the registry of all rejected voters.

States, to have the right, are excluded from the privilege of voting at the popular elections of the Territory, except in the elections for overseers of ditches to which they belong, and in the elections proper to their own pueblos, to elect their officers according to their ancient customs.

UTAH TERRITORY.

ORGANIC LAW.

Every free white male inhabitant above the age of twentyone years, who shall have been a resident of said Territory at the time of the passage of this act, shall be entitled to vote at the first election, and shall be eligible to any office within the said Territory: but the qualifications of voters and of holding office, at all subsequent elections, shall be such as shall be prescribed by the legislative assembly. Provided, That the right of suffrage and of holding office shall be exercised only by citizens of the United States, including those recognised as citizens by the treaty with the Republic of Mexico, concluded February second, eighteen hundred and forty-eight.

MINNESOTA TERRITORY.

Every free white male inhabitant above the age of twentyone years, who shall have been a resident of said Territory at the time of the passage of this act, shall be entitled to vote at the first election, and shall be eligible to any office within the said Territory: but the qualifications of voters and of holding office, at all subsequent elections, shall be such as shall be prescribed by the legislative assembly: Provided, That the right of suffrage and of holding office shall be exercised only by citizens of the United States, and those who shall have declared, on oath, their intention to become such, and shall have taken an oath to support the Constitution of the United States and the provisions of this act.

LEGISLATIVE ACT.

All free white male inhabitants over the age of twenty-one years, who shall have resided within this Territory six months