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hold or town lot), hath been a resident within the election district in which he offers to give his vote six months before said election, and hath paid a tax the preceding year of three shillings sterling toward the support of the government;" in Georgia, to every male white inhabitant of the age of twenty-one years, possessed in his own right of ten pounds value, liable to a State tax, or a mechanic, and six months resident in the State.

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After the adoption of the Federal Constitution, the same independence of action was exercised by each new State as it framed the Constitution on which it obtained admission to the Federation. In each of the three Constitutions adopted by Vermont, in 1777, 1786 and 1793, respectively, the "privileges of a freeman of the State.' in other words, a" a voter," were conferred upon "every man of the full age of twenty-one years," who had resided in the State one year "before the election of representatives," and was of "a quiet and peaceable behavior.” Kentucky gave it to "all free male citizens of the age of twenty-one, having resided in the State two years, or in the county in which they offer to vote one year next before election." North Carolina gave it to "every freeman of the age of twenty-one years and upwards, possessing a freehold in the county wherein he may vote, and being an inhabitant of this State, and every freeman being an inhabitant of any one county in the State six months immediately preceding the day of election." Ohio gave it to "all white male inhabitants above the age of twenty-one years, having resided in the State one year next

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preceding the election, and who have paid, or are charged with a State or county tax." In Louisiana, it was granted to "every free white male citizen of the United States who, at the time being, hath attained to the age of twenty-one years, and resided in the county in which he offers to vote for one year next preceding the election, and who in the last six months prior to the said election shall have paid a State tax, *** provided, however, that every free white male citizen of the United States who shall have purchased lands from the United States shall have the right of voting wherever he shall have the other qualifications of age and residence above prescribed." Indiana granted it to "every white male citizen of the United States of the age of twenty-one and upwards who has resided in the State one year immediately preceding such election," and it subsequently gave it to "every white male of twenty-one years and upwards who shall have resided in the United States one year, and shall have resided in this State during the six months preceding such election and shall have declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States, conformably to the laws of the United States on the subject of naturalization." Mississippi restricted it to "every free white male person of the age of twentyone years or upwards who shall be a citizen of the United States, and shall have resided in this State one year next preceding an election, and the last six months within the county, city or town in which he offers to vote, and shall be enrolled in the militia

thereof, except exempted by law from military service; or, having the aforesaid qualifications of citizen and residence, shall have paid a State or county tax." Illinois gave it to "all white male inhabitants above the age of twenty-one years, having resided in the State six months next preceding the election;" Alabama to "every white male citizen" of the United States, of twenty-one years of age, who had resided one year in the State next preceding an election, "and the last three months within the county, city or town in which he offers to vote; " Maine, to "every male citizen of the United States, of the age of twenty-one years and upwards, excepting paupers, persons under guardianship and Indians not taxed," having a three months' residence in the State; Missouri, to "every free white male citizen of the United States, who shall have attained the age of twenty-one years," and resided a year in the State and three months in the county or district in which he offers to vote; Arkansas, to "every free white male citizen of the United States,' twenty-one years of age, and resident in the State six months; Michigan, to "every white male citizen above the age of twenty-one years, having resided in the State six months next preceding any election, * * * and every white male inhabitant of the age aforesaid" residing in the State at the time of the signing of the Constitution; Florida, to "every free white male person of the age of twenty one years and upwards, and who shall be, at the time of offering to vote, a citizen of the United States," two years a resident in the State and six months

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"in the county in which he may offer to vote, and who shall be enrolled in the militia thereof," unless exempted * * * except in elections by general ticket in the State or district prescribed by law; in which case the elector must have been a resident of the State two years next preceding the election and six months within the election district in which he offers to vote;" Texas, to “every free male person who shall have attained the age of twenty-one years, and who shall be a citizen of the United States, or who is at the time of the adoption of this Constitution by the Congress of the United States a citizen of the republic of Texas and shall have resided in this State one year next preceding an election, and the last six months within the district, county, city or town in which he offers to vote (Indians not taxed, Africans and descendants of Africans excepted)," and "all free male citizens over the age of twenty-one years (Indians not taxed, Africans and descendants of Africans excepted)," who resided in Texas six months before Congress accepted the Constitution; Iowa, to "every white male citizen of the United States" of twenty-one, who had a six months' residence in the State and sixty days' residence in the county in which he offered to vote; Wisconsin, to every male white citizen of the United States, white person of foreign birth who shall have declared his intention to become a citizen, person of Indian blood made a Federal citizen by act of Congress, and every civilized person of Indian descent who maintains no tribal relations; California, to "every white male citizen of the

United States and every white male citizen of Mexico" who had elected to become a citizen of the United States under the provisions of the treaty of Queretaro, twentyone years of age, six months a resident of the State and thirty days a resident of the county or district in which he claimed his vote, reserving the right to the Legislature to admit to the right of suffrage, by a two-thirds vote, "Indians or descendants of Indians;" Minnesota, to every male person of twenty-one, who had resided in the United States one year, in the State four months next preceding any election, and in the election district ten days, and who was either a white citizen of the United States, or a white person of foreign birth, who had regularly declared his intention to become a citizen, or a person of mixed white and Indian blood who had "adopted the customs and habits of civilization," or a person of Indian blood residing in the State who had adopted "the language, customs and habits of civilization," and, after examination before a District Court in the State, had been declared capable of enjoying the rights of citizenship; Kansas, to every white male person twenty-one years of age, of six months residence in the State next preceding any election, and thirty days' residence in the township or ward, a citizen of the United States or a person of foreign birth who has declared his intention to become a citizen; Oregon, to "every white male citizen of the United States, of the age of twenty-one years and upwards, who shall have resided in the State during the six months immediately preceding such election, and

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