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2. The board of registration have no authority to administer any other oath to the person applying for registration than this prescribed oath; nor to administer any oath to any other person, touching the qualifications of the applicant, or the falsity of the oath so taken by him. The act to guard against falsity in the oath, provides that, if false, the person taking it shall be tried and punished for perjury.

No provision is made for challenging the qualifications of the appli- cant, or entering upon any trial or investigation of his qualifications, either by witnesses or any other form of proof.

3. As to citizenship and residence.

The applicant for registration must be a citizen of the State and of the United States, and must be a resident of a county included in the election district. He may be registered if he has been such citizen for a period less than twelve months at the time he applies for regis- tration, but he cannot vote at any election unless his citizenship has then extended to the full term of one year. As to such a person the exact length of his citizenship should be noted opposite his name on the list, so that it may appear on the day of election, upon reference to the list, whether the lull term has then been accomplished.

4. An unnaturalized person cannot take this oath, but an alien who has been naturalized can take it, and no other proof of naturalization can be required from him.

5. No one who is not twenty-one years of age at the time of reg- istration can take the oath, for he must swear that he has then at- tained that age.

6. No one who has been disfranchised for participation in any re- bellion against the United States, or for felony committed against the laws of any State or of the United States, can safely take this oath.

The actual participation in a rebellion, or the actual commission of a felony, does not amount to disfranchisement. The sort of disfran- chisement here meant, is that which is declared by law passed by competent authority, or which has been fixed upon the criminal by the sentence of the court which tried him for the crime.

No law of the United States has declared the penalty of disfran- chisement for participation in rebellion alone. Nor is it known that any such law exists in either of these ten States, except perhaps Vir- ginia, as to which State special instructions will be given.

7. As to disfranchisement arising from having held office followed by participation in rebellion.

This is the most important part of the oath, and requires strict at- tention to arrive at its meaning. I deem it proper to give the exact words. The applicant must swear or affirm as follows:

"That I have never been a member of any State legislature, nor held any executive or judicial office in any State, and afterwards en- gaged in an insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof ; that I have never taken an oath as a member of Congress of the United States, or as an offi- cer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Consti- tution of the United States, and afterwards engaged in insurrection