provisions of the constitution and laws of this state to exercise the right of suffrage in their respective election districts. But in making such addition on that day, or on any prior day, they do not place on the list the name of any person, except in strict compliance with the provisions of law. The supreme court can compel the inspectors to meet and do all the acts required by law.

The proceedings of the board of inspection are open, and all persons residing and entitled to vote in said districts are entitled to be heard by the inspectors in relation to corrections or additions to the registers. One of the lists so kept by the inspectors as stated is used by them on the day or days for making corrections or additions for the purpose of completing the registers for such district. No addition is made to the register of the name of any person, nor is the name of any person placed thereon, except one who has appeared in person before the board; and any person not born in the United States, on applying to have his name placed on the register, shall prove that he is a citizen of the United States by producing a certificate of naturalisation from a court of competent jurisdiction; nor shall any other proof of his being a citizen be received, unless he first shows to the satisfaction of the board of registry that said certificate has been issued to him, and that he is unable to produce it by reason of loss or destruction thereof. It is the duty of the inspectors at their meetings for revising and correcting to erase from the lists the name of any person inserted therein who is proved to their satisfaction to be a non-resident of the district, or otherwise not entitled to vote at the election then next to be held. Any elector residing in the district, and entitled to vote therein, may appear

before the board and require his name to be recorded on said alphabetical list; and upon complying with the requirements of law, the same is recorded. Any person so requiring his name to be entered on said list shall make the same statement as to street, number, &c., required of persons offering to vote at the election, and he is subject to the same pains and penalties for refusing to give such information, or for falsely giving the same, and is also subject to challenge by any inspector or by any elector whose name appears upon the alphabetical list; and the same oath may be administered by the inspectors as may by law be administered to persons offering to vote at any election. At such meeting for

revision and correction it is the right of any elector of the district to examine the registry; and if upon oath he declares that he has reason to believe that any person on the list is not a qualified elector, the inspectors shall place the words “to be challenged " opposite the name of such person, to whom, while offering his vote, the general oath as to qualifications shall be administered; and if he refuse to take oath, he shall not be permitted to vote. After the list has been fully completed, the inspectors cause four copies to be made, each of which is verified by them to be a correct list of the voters of their district, one of which is filed in the office of the town-clerk of towns, and in cities in the office of the city clerk, and one is retained by each of the inspectors. It is the duty of the inspectors carefully to preserve the lists for their use on election day, and to designate one of their number, or one of the clerks at the opening of the polls, to check the name of every voter voting in such district whose name is on the register; and no vote is received at any annual election in the state un

less the name of the person offering to vote is on the registry, made and completed as described, preceding the election; and any person whose name is on the registry may be challenged, and the same oaths put as are prescribed by law. This pro

vision is taken and held by every judicial or other tribunal as mandatory and not directory; and any vote which is received by the inspectors of election in contravention is void, and is rejected from the count in any legislative or judicial scrutiny into any result of the election.

The clerks at each poll, in addition to their other duties prescribed by law, enter on the poll-lists kept by them, in the columns prepared for that purpose, opposite the names of each person voting, the same statement or minute required of inspectors in making the registry; but this entry is not made by them if the registry contains correctly the name and residence of such voter. Every elector, at the time of offering his vote, shall, if required, truly state the street in which he resides, and, if the house, lodging, or tenement in which he resides is numbered, the number thereof, and if a tenement or lodginghouse, the number of the room, if any, and the floor or storey of such tenement or lodging-house; and the clerks of the poll shall truly enter in the appropriate column of the polllist, opposite the name of the elector, the street in which he resides, &c. ; and if such house, tenement, lodging, or room is not numbered, then the clerk shall enter "not numbered " in the column of the poll-list set apart for that purpose; and in case of refusal to make the statement as aforesaid, the vote of such elector is not received. Any person who wilfully makes any false statement in relation thereto is guilty of a misdemeanour punishable with a fine of $50, or by imprisonment in the county or city

jail for a period of thirty days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Qualified voters in any city have the right, in any and all election districts in such city, to challenge and contest the right of any person to be placed on any register, or to vote at any poll within the city, with the same effect as though the party making the challenge was a qualified voter in the district where he makes the challenge. After the canvass of the votes, the poll-list and register, so kept and checked as described, are attached together, and, on the following day, filed in the town or city clerk's office, to be used by the inspectors in making the list of voters at the next general election. The registers are at all times open to public inspection at the office of the authorities in which they are deposited, without charge. The same

lists required to be made and perfected at general elections are in the same manner made and perfected by the inspectors at all elections for charter officers in the several cities of the state, and at such elections for charter officers the board holds the first meeting three weeks prior to such charter election. These provisions of the Act of 1872 apply to all the incorporated cities in the state except New York and Brooklyn, and in all incorporated villages of over 7000 inhabitants, as determined by the last census; but they do not affect any law in reference to the registration of voters in towns or villages abutting against cities.

Where fifty or more resident citizens and legal voters of any town in any county of the state, having a population of over 300,000 according to the last census, file in the office of the town-clerk a request, in writing, that the citizens of such town entitled to vote be ascertained, the town-clerk shall, within five days thereafter, notify the justices of the peace and

supervisor of the town to meet, and in such notice name a time and place in said town, not less than three or more than ten days thereafter, for them to meet. These justices and supervisor and town-clerk meet accordingly, and constitute a board, with power to do and perform the acts and duties required of them. The presence of at least four of the board is necessary to constitute a quorum. When so convened, they proceed to appoint, under their hands and seals, five citizens and legal voters who have been residents of the town for at least one year next before their appointment as registers, to act as, and be known as, the board of registry of said town. These registers are selected from the two opposing political parties which cast the greatest number of votes at the then next preceding general election, and not more than three of them shall be at any time taken from or belong to either of said political parties. If any person so appointed fails or refuses to serve, or if a vacancy at any time occurs, the other members of the board fill the vacancy by appointment. The persons so appointed are notified by the town-clerk within five days thereafter; and thereupon, and at least thirty days before the next annual town meeting or general election, they shall meet and organise as a board of registry by electing a chairman and clerk. They then fix the times and places at which they shall meet for the purpose of ascertaining the citizens of the town entitled to the right of suffrage therein, which meetings shall be on four different days in each election district, from 8 A. M. until 9 P.M., for the purpose of registration. The last day is for the purpose only of revising and correcting the roll, and shall be at least ten days before the next ensuing annual town meeting or general election. The board of registry, imme

diately after organisation, causes such notice of their meetings for registration to be given as in their judgment is reasonable and sufficient, by advertising the same in at least one newspaper of each party, if there be one having a circulation in said town, and by posting ten or more notices in each town, in as many public and conspicuous places as they deem necessary and sufficient to notify the resident electors of said town. No person shall be entitled to vote at or take part in such election or town meeting except as ascertained to be entitled to the right of suffrage as provided by chap. 142 of the laws of 1880, which is now under consideration. At the times of meeting of the board of registry, they, or a majority of them, have power to act, and take and enter on five lists the name and residence of each person appearing before them and claiming to be qualified and entitled to the right of suffrage, who shall not be challenged. And the citizens of such town, entitled to and claiming the right to vote at the ensuing election or annual town meeting, may attend before the board for the purpose of registration. any person so offering himself for enrolment is challenged by any member of the board, or by any person entitled to vote in the town, the board, or any member thereof, shall tender to him the oath required to be administered to persons when votes are challenged at general elections; and if the same is taken, the name of that person is entered on the list of voters, and not otherwise. And it is the duty of every member of the board to challenge every person offering himself for registration who is, in his opinion, not entitled to vote at the next ensuing election or town meeting. Any person not born in the United States claiming to be a citizen by naturalisation, applying to have his name placed on the registry,

If

must produce a certificate of naturalisation from a court of competent jurisdiction, or prove by his oath or affirmation, to the board of registry, that such a certificate has been issued, and that the same has been lost or destroyed.

The board of registry makes one complete list of all the names registered, in alphabetical order, for each election district, with the place of residence of each, as near as may be, which shall be signed by the members of the board, and filed by them in the town-clerk's office of the town, at least one week preceding every town meeting and general election; and the town clerk shall cause a copy thereof, certified by him, to be delivered to the officers presiding at the ensuing annual town meeting, and at each election district at the annual general election in the town at the opening of the polls, who shall reject the vote of any person not on said list. But any registered person offering to vote at such election or town meeting may be challenged the same as if this Act had not been passed; and no person shall be allowed to vote save in the election district of which he is a resident. On the Saturday preceding the day of election, it is the duty of the registers of election to hold a meeting from 4 to 10 P.M. for the revising and correcting the registries, to receive testimony, and arrange for challenge at the polls; but no name shall be added to any registry at this meeting except upon proper proofs being furnished that the person applying for registration was sick or absent from the town on all days when the registers had theretofore met for the purpose of registering votes, or that such person had become a citizen by naturalisation ten days prior to the day of election. Any officer of the town, or any member of the board of registry, wilfully or corruptly neglecting

or refusing to perform any of the duties intrusted to or devolved upon him, is guilty of a misdemeanour, and punishable by fine not exceeding $500 or imprisonment not exceeding six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. A person guilty of getting himself illegally registered is deemed guilty of a misdemeanour, and punishable by fine not exceeding $250 or imprisonment not exceeding six months, or by both. A person who wilfully and corruptly swears falsely before the board of registry is guilty of perjury. Before the board of registry commences the registration of voters, as described, each member of it takes and subscribes an oath that he will in all respects well, faithfully, and honestly discharge and perform all his duties as a member of the board, and this oath is filed in the office of the town-clerk of the town. The members of the board hold office for two years from the time of their appointment; and while in the discharge of their duties receive $2 per day and all necessary expenses, which are audited and allowed by the board of town auditors.

By chap. 576, laws of 1880, the inspectors of election in each of the cities of the state whose population exceeds 16,000, and in each of the towns whose boundary-line abuts against any such city, meet annually on the Tuesday three weeks preceding the general election at 9 A.M., at the place designated for holding the poll of said election, and organise themselves as a board for the purpose of registering the names of the legal voters of such district. This board proceeds to make a list of all persons qualified and entitled to vote at the ensuing election in the election district of which they are inspectors. This list, when completed, constitutes and is known as the register of elections of that district. The inspectors,