ALABAMA. 



clauses in Sec. 8, Article 1, of the 

 , of Alabama; that I will never counte- 



r .nil in the secession of this State from the 

 ^; that I accept the civil and politic-it! 

 .11 men ; and a-jivo not to attempt to de- 

 person or persons, on account of race, 

 , i.nis condition, of any political or civil 

 ;.rivili-irc, or immunity, c-njoyed by any other 

 i.i.'ii ; and, furthermore, that I will not in 

 \ injure, or countenance in others any attempt 

 > injure, any person or persons, on account of past 

 r present support of the Government of the United 

 tit.- law- nf the United States, or the princi- 

 ple of the political and civil equality of all men, or 

 tor atliliation with any political party. 



A memorial to CoMinv-s praying a change 

 of the r. con-tnu-tiou law, in relation to vot- 

 ing on t!io ratification of the constitution, so 

 that a majority cither way should decide, in- 

 .>(' a majority of the registered votes, was 

 adopted yeas 50, nays 5. 



A number of ordinances were' passed by the 

 Convention which wore not properly a part of 

 i IK- constitution authorized by the reconstruc- 

 tion ads ami which were not submitted with 

 th.- constitution to a vote of the people. These 

 ordinances do away with all civil courts of jus- 

 tice for two years; they exempt from levy 

 and sale more property than nineteen-twcn- 

 t'k-ths of the people possessed, thus tending to 

 do-troy credit and to diminish advances to la- 

 !>.nvr<. They provided that the homestead of 

 a family should not be touched for the debts of 

 the decedent so long as his children are 

 minors. They opened the accounts of all ex- 

 ecutors and administrators, and declared void 

 all settlements made on the basis of the cur- 

 rency existing during the war. 



It was estimated that the first two disfran- 

 rhi-'mg provisions of the franchise article would 

 take the suffrage away from forty thousand 

 whites, and the last clause of the same would 

 t away conscientiously from all but the 

 olaasee. who care nothing for the sanctity 

 if an oath. Their effect would be to place the 

 government and the municipal govern- 

 ment of all but six counties in the State in the 

 hands of the blacks, who had had no oppor- 

 tunities to prepare themselves for such duties. 



The 4th of February, 18G8, was fixed for the 

 vote on the ratification of the constitution by 

 the people. The opposition concentrated under 

 the direction of the Conservative State Com- 

 mittee, who issued an address to the conserva- 

 tive people recommending the formation of 

 clubs in every county, and announced that 

 after full consultation they would recommend 

 a course to be pursued. 



The order of Major-Gen eral Pope, fixing the 

 time of election, was issued on December 20th. 

 This order directed that the vote should be 

 " For the Constitution," and " Against the 

 Constitution," and further provided as fol- 

 low- : 



III. It shall be the duty of Boards of Registration, 

 in Alabama, in accordance with said acts, commen- 

 cing fourteen (14) days prior to the election herein 

 ordered, and giving reasonable public notice of the 

 time and place thereof, to revise for a period of five 



days the registration lists, and upon being satisfied 

 that any person not entitli-d th-n to has been regis- 

 tered, to strike the name of snch person from the 

 lists, and such person shall not be allowed to rote. 

 The Boards of Registration shall also, during the 

 same period, odd to such registry the names of all 

 persons who at that time possess the qualifications 

 required by said acts, who have not been already 

 registered. 



IV. The said election shall be held in each county 

 under the superintendence of the Boards of Regis- 

 tration as provided by law, and polls will be opened, 

 after due and sufficient notice, at as many points in 

 each county as in the opinion of the said Boards 

 may be required for the convenience of voters. 



V. Any registered voter of the State, who may 

 have removed from the county in which he was 

 registered, shall be permitted to vote in the county 

 to which he has removed, upon making affidavit be- 

 fore a member of the Board of Registration, or a 

 Judge of Election, that he was registered, naming 

 the county in which he was so registered, and that 

 he has not voted at this election. Blanks for such 

 affidavits will be supplied by the Boards of Registra- 

 tion, and the name of the voter making oath must 

 be indorsed on his ballot, and all such affidavits 

 forwarded with the returns of the election. 



At the same time State ofiicers were to be 

 elected. 



At the close of the year the white population 

 of the State had risen up in all parts for the 

 purpose of combining their efforts to defeat the 

 ratification of the new constitution. 



During the year, many local officers were 

 removed by order of Major-General Pope ; such 

 as judges of probate, sheriffs, clerks of courts. 

 At the commencement of 1868, Major-General 

 Swayne was removed by order of General Grant, 

 and Major-General Pope, by order of President 

 Johnson. Major-General Meade was appointed 

 to the position of the latter. 



The credit of the State was maintained by 

 the payment of the interest on her debt. The 

 bonded debt of the State at the close of the 

 year was $3,445,000; of which $2,109,000 was 

 payable in New York, and $1,336,000 in Lon- 

 don. In the constitutional convention the Com- 

 mittee on Finance stated the indebtedness of 

 all kinds at $6,130,910, and reported the follow- 

 ing resolution, which was adopted unanimously 

 by the convention : 



Resolved, That it is the determination of this con- 

 vention to recognize all legitimate indebtedness of 

 the State of Alabama, and we hold that said indebt- 

 edness should ever be held sacred. 



In this list of obligations we enumerate : 



1. The entire bonded debt due January 10, 1861. 



2. The bonded debt created since 18(55, in funding 

 coupons due and unpaid. 



8. Bonds issued in extending matured debts of 

 1866. 



4. Bonded or other indebtedness created during 

 the last two years, together with "tax receipts" or 

 " certificates," issued'by authority of law for paying 

 legitimate expenses of the provisional government : 

 Provided, however. That no indebtedness (bonded 

 or otherwise), created by the State of Alabama 

 during the late rebellion, or indebtedness created 

 during the last two years, for the benefit, directly or 

 remotely, of any interest of the rebel State, or Con- 

 federate Government, shall in any manner be recog- 

 nized by this committee. 



Great destitution of provisions prevailed 



