sworn according to the seventh section of the franchise act of 1865, that after comparing all the votes polled at said election I find that D. B. Thomas has received six hundred and twenty-eight (628) votes, and S. M. Arnell received four hundred and fourteen (414) votes.

Given under my hand at the sheriff's office, this 5th day of August, 1865. WILLIAM M. SULLIVAN, Sheriff Maury County.

STATE OF TENNESSEE, Hickman County:

I, Joseph Beasley, sheriff of the county of Hickman, State of Tennessee, hereby certify that I caused to be held an election in the various civil districts of said county, to elect a member to Congress, on Thursday, the 3d day of August, 1865, and the following is the result of the votes polled in my said county, to wit:

S. M. Arnell received one hundred and forty-three votes; D. B. Thomas received one hundred and eight votes.

Witness my hand of office this the 7th day of August, 1865.

JOSEPH BEASLEY, Sheriff.

CLARKSVILLE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TENNESSEE,

August 8, 1865.

I certify that at an election held on Thursday, the 3d day of August, 1865, for the purpose of electing a representative for the sixth congressional district, the full returns from each civil district in the county have been carefully examined by me, which show:

D. B. Thomas received four hundred and thirty-seven votes, and that S. M. Arnell received forty-nine votes.

I have forwarded to Governor W. G. Brownlow a duplicate of this certificate, and have deposited with the county court clerk the different poll-books, and a triplicate of this certificate.

A. J. FLETCHER, Esq.,

BERRY LYLE,

Sheriff, Montgomery County. By O. M. BLACKMAN, Deputy Sheriff, Montgomery County.

Decretary of State, Nashville, Tennessee.

The sheriff of Dickson county, State of Tennessee, has returned a copy of the poll-books of the respective districts of said county, all of which have been properly certified by him, and are as follows:

STATE OF TENNESSEE, Wayne county:

This is to certify that at a popular election held by me in Wayne county, on the first Thursday, it being the 3d day of August, 1865, for a member to the Congress of the United States; the following was the result:

For S. M. Arnell...

For D. B. Thomas.

For Moody ..

479 votes.

74 votes.

1 vote.

I hereby certify that the above is a correct list of all the votes polled in said county this 7th day of August, 1865.

STATE OF TENNESSEE, Hardin county:

JOHN GRIMES, Sheriff.

I do hereby certify that at a popular election held, according to law, at the respective election grounds in all the districts in the county of Hardin, and State of Tennessee, on the 3d day of August, 1865, for members to Congress, that S. M. Arnell received 488 votes, and D. B. Thomas received 83 votes. This 7th August, 1865.

N. M. D. KEMP,
Sheriff of Hardin county.

I certify that at a popular election held according to law, in the respective election grounds in all the districts in Stewart county, State of Tennessee, on the 3d day of August, 1865, for member to Congress, that D. B. Thomas received seven hundred and twenty-seven (727) votes, Arnell received five (5) votes; that M. Brandon received, for representative for Stewart county, five hundred and ninety-nine (599) votes; that Barnett Crockerell received one hundred and nineteen (119) votes; that Jesse Glasgow received four (4) votes. This the 4th August, 1865.

STATE OF TENNESSEE, Humphreys county:

W. T. KEELL, Sheriff.

I, M. M. Massey, sheriff of said county, do hereby certify that the following is a true account of an election as returned to me, began and held on the 3d day of August, 1865, in the several precincts of said county, for the purpose of electing one representative to represent the 6th congressional district of the State of Tennessee in the Congress of the United States:

Samuel M. Arnell received one (1) vote, D. B. Thomas received three hundred and ninety-one (391) votes.

Given under my hand at Waverly.

STATE OF TENNESSEE, Decatur county:

M. M. MASSEY, Sheriff of Humphreys County.

I, J. C. Roberts, clerk of the county court of Decatur county, do hereby eertify that from the poll-books of the different precincts of this county of an election opened and held on the 3d day of August, 1865, as returned by the sheriff of said county, for member to the Congress of the United States from the sixth congressional district of Tennessee, that there were polled for S. Arnell one hundred and fifty-three (153) votes, and for D. B. Thomas one hundred and eightythree (183) votes. Given under my hand and seal this the 16th day of December, 1865.

To which is appended the seal of the county.

J. C: ROBERTS,
Clerk of County Court.

I, Andrew J. Fletcher, secretary of state of the State of Tennessee, do hereby certify that the foregoing are true copies of the original returns of the sheriffs of the counties composing the 6th congressional district of the State of Tennessee of an election for representative in Congress, held on the 3d day of August, 1865. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my official signature, and, by order of the governor, affixed the great seal of the State of Tennessee, at the department, in the city of Nashville, the 21st day of December, 1865. A. J. FLETCHER,

[SEAL.]

Secretary State.

PROCLAMATION BY THE GOVERNOR.

STATE OF TENNESSEE, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

Nashville, June 12, 1865.

Whereas the State of Tennessee has long been without a representation in the Congress of the United States, and has had only a partial representation since the beginning of the war; and whereas the loyal people of the State have, at the ballot-box and in many other ways, expressed their desire to discharge their duties as citizens of the United States of America, and did, on the 4th day of March, 1865, choose and elect a legislature of the State, who have duly assembled under the constitution and laws of the State, and have fully reorganized the State government, and have elected two senators to the Congress of the United States, and have, by their act of June 9, 1865, apportioned the representation of the State in the Congress of the United States; therefore, I, William G. Brownlow, governor of the State of Tennessee, do hereby command the sheriffs or coroners of the several counties of the State of Tennessee to open and hold an election at all the places of holding elections in their respective counties, on Thursday, the third day of August next, for the purpose of electing representatives in the Congress of the United States, according to the provisions of the said act of June 9, 1865; and whereas, since the election of the present general assembly, the following vacancies have occurred in the representation thereof, viz.:

In the senatorial district composed of the counties of Johnson, Carter, Washington, and Sullivan, caused by the resignation of the Hon. R. R. Butler;

In the senatorial district composed of the counties of Knox and Roane, caused by the resignation of the Hon. Samuel R. Rogers;

In the senatorial district composed of the counties of Bedford and Marshall, caused by the resignation of the Hon W. H. Wisener;

In the senatorial district composed of the counties of Hardin McNairy, and Hardeman, caused by the resignation of the Hon. Fielding Hurst;

In the house of regresentatives, from the county of Giles, caused by the resignation of the Hon. James R. Dilleu;

From the county of Stewart, caused by the resignation of the Hon. James

Woods ;

From the county of Henry, caused by the non-acceptance of the Hon. Thomas Crutchfield;

From the counties of Lincoln, Marshall, and Giles, caused by the non-acceptance of the Hon. David McGahey; therefore the sheriff's or coroners of the several counties in which said vacancies exist shall open and hold said election for the purpose of filling the vacancies existing in the representation of said several counties.

And whereas the general assembly, on the 5th day of June, 1865, passed "An act to limit the elective franchise," which is hereto annexed, and made a

part of this proclamation, the said sheriffs and the judges of said elections, and all others, are hereby strictly enjoined to enforce the provisions and restrictions declared in said act, and to require that every voter shall be qualified to vote according to the same; and whereas the said act provides, "that it shall be the duty of the county court clerk in each county to open and keep a registration of voters, before whom proof, under oath, shall be made that the voter falls within the provisions of said act;" said county court clerks are hereby commanded, without delay, to procure a bound book, or books, for each county, and to open and keep the same as a registration of voters of said county, and shall furnish to such persons as may fall within the provisions of said act a certificate of registration, and no person shall be permitted to vote at said election without such certificate.

The following form of certificates of registration is respectfully recommended: STATE OF TENNESSEE, County of

I, A. B, clerk of the county court of said county, do hereby certify that proof under oath has been made before me, that C. D. falls within the provisions of section 1, of an act entitled, “An act to limit the elective franchise," passed June 5, 1865, and is therefore a qualified voter of said county. Given under my hand at the office, the day of

-, 1865.

A. B., Clerk.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name, and caused the great seal of the State to be affixed at the department of Nashville, this 13th day of June, 1865.

By the

governor :

[SEAL.]

A. J. FLETCHER, Secretary of State.

W. G. BROWNLOW.

The Nashville Press and Times, Nashville Union, Memphis Argus, Memphis Bulletin, Chattanooga Gazette, Knoxville Whig, and Jonesboro' Flag of the Union, will publish this proclamation and the "Act to limit the elective franchise," once per week until the election, and forward accounts to the secretary of state for approval.

A. J. FLETCHER,
Secretary of State.

An act to limit the elective franchise.

Whereas the first article and the first section of the declaration of rights in the constitution of the State of Tennessee declares :

"That all power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their peace, safety and happiness; for the advancement of these ends they have at all times an inalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform, or abolish the government in such manner as they may think proper;" and

Whereas a large and respectable convention of the free and loyal people of the State of Tennessee, met in the city of Nashville on the 9th day of January, 1865, and proposed certain alterations and amendments to the constitution of the State of Tennessee, for rejection or ratification by the loyal people on the 22d of February following; and whereas said amendments and schedule were solemnly ratified with great unanimity by the authoritative voice of the people; and whereas the Sth section of said schedule provided for the election of a governor and members of the legislature on the 4th day of March, 1865, and who, in accordance therewith, were elected by the ballots of the loyal peo ple; and whereas the same authoritative voice in section 9th of the schedule delegated to the general assembly meeting first under this amended constitution the right to fix the qualification of voters, and the limitation of the elective

franchise; therefore, acting faithfully under and in accordance with this dele

gation of supreme power:

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of the State of Tennessee, That the following persons, to wit:

1. Every white man twenty-one years of age, a citizen of the United States, and a citizen of the county wherein he may offer his vote six months next preceding the day of election, and publicly known to have entertained unconditional Union sentiments from the outbreak of the rebellion until the present time; and

2. Every white man, a citizen of the United States, and a citizen of the county wherein he may offer his vote six months next preceding the day of election, having arrived at the age of twenty-one years since March 4, 1865, provided he has not been engaged in armed rebellion against the authority of the United States, voluntarily; and

3. Every white man of lawful age, coming from another State, and being a citizen of the United States, on proof of loyalty to the United States, and being a citizen of the county wherein he may offer his vote six months next preceding the day of election; and

4. Every white man, a citizen of the United States, and a citizen of this State, who has served as a soldier in the army of the United States, and has been or may be hereafter honorably discharged therefrom; and

5. Every white man of lawful age, a citizen of the United States, and a citizen of the county wherein he may offer his vote six months next preceding the day of election, who was conscripted by force into the so-called confederate army, and was known to be a Union man, on proof of loyalty to the United States, established by the testimony of two voters under the previous clauses of this section; and

6. Every white man who voted in this State at the presidential election in November, 1864, or voted on the 22d February, 1865, or voted on the 4th March, 1865, in this State, and all others who had taken the "oath of allegiance" to the United States, and may be known by the judges of election to have been true friends to the government of the United States, and would have voted in said previously mentioned elections if the same had been holden within their reach, shall be entitled to the privileges of the elective franchise.

SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, That all persons who are or shall have been civil or diplomatic officers or agents of the so-called confederate States of America, or who have judicial stations under the United States, or the State of Tennessee, to aid in any way the existing or recent rebellion against the authority of the United States, or who are or shall have been military or naval officers of the so-called confederate States above the rank of captain in the army or lieutenant in the navy, or who have left seats in the United States Congress, or seats in the legislature of the State of Tennessee, to aid said rebellion, or have resigned commissions in the army or navy of the United States, and afterwards have voluntarily given aid to said rebellion, or persons who have engaged in treating otherwise than lawfully as prisoners of war persons found in the United States service, as officers, soldiers, seamen, or in any other capacities, or persons who have been or are absentees from the United States for the purpose of aiding the rebellion, or persons who held pretended offices under the government of States in insurrection against the United States, or persons who left their homes, within the jurisdiction and protection of the United States, or fled before the approach of the national forces, and passed beyond the federal military lines into the so-called confederate States, for the purpose of aiding the rebellion, shall be denied and refused the privilege of the elective franchise in the State for the term of fifteen years, from and after the passage of this act.

SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, That all other persons, except those mentioned in section one of this act, are hereby and henceforth excluded and denied the