one of the United States, or until he shall have been naturalized agreeably to the acts of congress.

See Temple v. Maud, 4 Vermont Reports, 535.

MASSACHUSETTS.

The Massachusetts constitution provides that every male citizen of twenty-one years of age and upwards (except paupers and persons under guardianship), who shall have resided within the commonwealth one year, and within the town or district in which he may claim a right to vote six calendar months, next preceding any election of governor, lieutenant-governor, senators or representatives, and who shall have paid by himself or his parent, master or guardian, any state or county tax which shall, within two years next preceding such election, have been assessed upon him in any town or district of this commonwealth, and also every citizen who shall be by law exempted from taxation, and who shall be in all other respects qualified as above mentioned, shall have a right to vote in such election for governor, lieutenant-governor, senators and representatives, and no other person shall be entitled to vote in such elections.

The secretary, treasurer and receiver-general, auditor and attorney-general shall be chosen annually on the day in November prescribed for the choice of governor. The qualification of the voters shall be such as are required in the election of governor.

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[Amendment 1857.]—No person shall have the right to vote or be eligible to office under the constitution of this commonwealth, who shall not be able to read the constitution in the English language and write his name; provided, however, that the provisions of this amendment shall not apply to any person prevented by a physical disability from complying with its requisitions, nor to any person who now has the right to vote, nor to any persons who shall be sixty years of age or upwards at the time this amendment shall take effect.

See opinion of Supreme Court to Governor, 3 Mass., 568 ; Windham v. Portland, 4 Mass., 384; Commonwealth v. Clory, 8 Mass., 72; Bridge v. Lincoln, 14 Mass., 367; Lincoln v. Hapgood, 11 Mass., 350; Williams v. Whiting, 11 Id., 423; Putnam v. Johnson, 10 Id., 488; Oakes v. Hill, 10 Id., 333; opinion of Judges, 11 Pickering, 538; 18 Pick., 575; 1 Metcalf, 580; 5 Metcalf, 591; Humphrey v. Kingman, 5 Metcalf, 162; Harris v. Whitcomb, 4 Gray, 433.

RHODE ISLAND.

The suffrage clauses of the Rhode Island constitution are as follows:

Every male citizen of the United States, of the age of twenty-one years, who has had his residence and home in this state for one year, and in the town or city in which he may claim a right to vote six months, next preceding the time of voting, and who is really and truly possessed in his own right of real estate in such town or city of

the value of one hundred and thirty-four dollars, over and above all encumbrances, or which shall rent for seven dollars per annum, over and above any rent reserved, or the interest of any incumbrance thereon, being an estate in fee-simple, fee tail, for the life of any person, or an estate in reversion or remainder, which qualifies no other person to vote, the conveyance of which estate, if by deed, shall have been recorded at least ninety days, shall hereafter have a right to vote at the election of all civil officers, and on all questions, in all legal town or ward meetings, so long as he continues so qualified. And if any person herein before described shall own any such estate, within this state, out of the town or city in which he resides, he shall have a right to vote in the election of all general officers and members of the general assembly, in the town or city in which he shall have had his residence and home for the term of six months next preceding the election, upon producing a certificate from the clerk of the town or city in which his estate lies, bearing date within ten days of the time of his voting, setting forth that such person has a sufficient estate therein to qualify him as a voter, and that the deed, if any, has been recorded ninety days.

Every male native citizen of the United States, of the age of twenty-one years, who has had his residence and home in this state two years, and in the town or city in which he may offer to vote six months, next preceding the time of voting, whose name is registered pursuant to the act calling the convention to frame this constitution,

or shall be registered in the office of the clerk of such town or city, at least seven days before the time he shall offer to vote, and before the last day of December in the present year, and who has paid or shall pay a tax or taxes, assessed upon his estate within this state, and within a year of the time of voting, to the amount of one dollar, or who shall voluntarily pay, at least seven days before the time he shall offer to vote, and before the said last day of December, to the clerk or treasurer of the town or city where he resides, the sum of one dollar, or such sums as with his other taxes shall amount to one dollar, for the support of public schools therein, and shall make proof of the same by the certificate of the clerk, treasurer or collector of any town or city where such payment is made; or who, being so registered, has been enrolled in any military company in this state, and done military service or duty therein, within the present year, pursuant to law, and shall (until other proof is required by law) prove by the certificate of the officer legally commanding the regiment, or chartered, or legally authorized volunteer company, in which he may have served or done duty, that he has been equipped and done duty according to law, or by the certificate of the commissioners upon military claims that he has performed military service, shall have a right to vote in the election of all civil officers, and on all questions in all legally organized town or ward meetings, until the end of the first year after the adoption of the constitu

tion, or until the end of the year eighteen hundred and forty-three.

From and after that time, every such citizen, who has the residence herein required, and whose name shall be registered in the town where he resides, on or before the last day of December in the year next preceding the time of his voting, and who shall show by legal proof that he has for and within the year next preceding the time he shall offer to vote, paid a tax or taxes assessed against him, in any town or city in this state to the amount of one dollar, or that he has been enrolled in a military company in this state, been equipped and dune duty therein, according to law, and at least for one day during each year, shall have a right to vote in the election of all civil officers and on all questions in all legally organized town or ward meetings; provided, that no person shall at any time be allowed to vote in the election of the city council of the city of Providence, or upon any proposition to impose a tax, or for the expenditure of money in any town or city, unless he shall within the year next preceding have paid a tax assessed upon his property therein valued at least at one hundred and thirty-four dollars.

The assessor of each town or city shall annually assess upon every person whose name shall be registered a tax of one dollar, which registry tax shall be paid into the treasury of such town or city, and be applied to the support of public schools therein. But no compulsory process shall issue for the collection of any registry tax;