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Citations may be

issued on officers

insufficient.

Additional

CHAPTER CXXXVIII.

AN ACT concerning Sureties on Official Bonds. (1)— [Passed
May 18, 1853.]

The People of the State of California, represented in Senate and
Assembly, do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. Whenever it shall be shown, by affidavit of a credible whose bonds are witness, duly filed, or presented to any court, judge, board, officer, or person whose duty it is to approve the official bond of any officer, that the sureties thereon, or any of them, have, since such bond was approved, died, removed from the state, become insolvent, or from any other cause have become incompetent or insufficient sureties on such official bond, it shall be the duty of such court, judge, board, officer, or person, to issue a citation to such officer, requiring such officer, on a day therein named, not less than three nor more than ten days after date, to appear and show cause why such office shall not be vacated, which citation shall be served, and return thereof made, as in other cases. If said officer shall fail to appear and show good cause why such office should not be vacated, on the day named, or shall fail to give ample additional surety, it shall be the duty of such court, judge, board, officer, or person, to make an order vacating such office, and the same shall be filled by election or appointment, as provided for by law.

surety to be given or the office declared

vacant.

Sureties on official bonds

SEC. 2. Any surety on the official bond of a city, county, or state may be relieved. officer, may be relieved from liabilities thereon afterwards accruing, by complying with the following provisions of this act.

By filing a

statement setting forth certain

facts.

Copy to be

served on officer.

Judge to issue order declaring office vacant

SEC. 3. Such surety shall file with the court, judge, board, officer, person or persons authorized by law to approve such official bond, a statement in writing, setting forth the desire of the said surety to be relieved from all liabilities thereon afterwards arising, and the reasons therefor, which statement shall be subscribed and verified by the affidavit of the party filing the same.

SEC. 4. A copy of the statement shall be served on the officer named in such official bond, and due return or affidavit of service made thereof, as in other cases.

SEC. 5. In ten days after the service of such notice, the court, judge, board, officer, person or persons with whom the same may be

(1) For act concerning official bonds of officers, see ante, p. 97. See, also, next chapter.

bond be given.

filed, shall make an order declaring such office vacant, and releasing unless a new such surety from all liability thereafter, to arise on such official bond, and such office shall thereafter be held in law as vacant, and be immediately filled by election or appointment as provided for by law, as in other cases of vacancy of such office, unless such officer shall have, before that time, given good and ample surety for the discharge of all his official duties as required originally.

responsible for

until order be

SEC. 6. This act shall not be so construed as to release any surety Sureties to be from damages, or liabilities for acts, omissions, or causes existing, or official acts, and which arose before the making of such order as aforesaid, but such made. legal proceedings may be had therefor in all respects as though no order had been made under the provisions of this act.

under the act.

SEC. 7. Executors, administrators and guardians shall be held as County officers county officers within the provisions of this act.

CHAPTER CXXXIX.

AN ACT to provide for Security to be given by County Officers act-
ing under Appointments, and to amend the fifty-fifth Section of the
Act concerning Sheriffs, passed April twenty-ninth, one thousand
eight hundred and fifty-one. [Passed May 17, 1853.]

The People of the State of California, represented in Senate and
Assembly, do enact as follows:

vacancy to give

SECTION 1. Upon the appointment of any person to fill a vacancy Appointees to in office, before entering upon the duties of the office, the person so bond. appointed shall give a bond corresponding in substance and form with the bond required of the same officer when originally elected or appointed, to be approved by the court or officer making the appoint

ment.

amended.

SEC. 2. The fifty-fifth section of the act entitled An act concerning Former act sheriffs, passed April twenty-ninth, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, is amended so as to read as follows: In case of a vacancy in the office of sheriff, the powers and duties of sheriff shall devolve upon the coroner of the county, and be executed by him until a new Coroner to sheriff be appointed or elected and qualified, and has given security duties of sheriff to be approved as required by law. (1)

perform the

in case of vacancy in that office.

(1) See ante, page 720, Sec. 55.

Time of holding election.

Special elections.

Vacancies, how and when supplied.

Proclamation to

be made of offices to be filled at a general election.

County judges to give notice of such proclamation.

CHAPTER CXL.

AN ACT to regulate Elections. (1) [Passed March 23, 1850.]

The People of the State of California, represented in Senate and
Assembly, do enact as follows:

ARTICLE I.

OF GENERAL, COUNTY, AND SPECIAL ELECTIONS.

SECTION 1. There shall be held throughout the state, on the first Wednesday in September of each year, an election for members of assembly, and such other officers as may be required by law to be chosen at such election, to be called the general election, except that in each bissextile or leap year, such general election shall be held on the day on which by law the election is required to be held for election of president and vice president of the United States. (2) SEC. 2. [Repealed.] (3)

SEC. 3. Special elections are such as are held to supply vacancies in any office, whether the same be filled by the vote of the qualified electors of the state, or any district, county, or township, and may be held at such time as may be designated by the proper officer.

SEC. 4. All vacancies which are about to occur in office by the expiration of the full term thereof, shall be supplied at the general election. (4)

SEC. 5. It shall be the duty of the governor, at least thirty days before any general election, to issue his proclamation designating the offices to be filled at such election, and to transmit a copy thereof to the county judge of each county of the state.

SEC. 6. It shall be the duty of the county judge to give at least ten days' notice thereof, by setting up, at each usual place of holding elections in his county, a copy of such proclamation, and by inserting the same in some newspaper published in the county, if any be published therein.

SEC. 7. [Repealed.] (5)

(1) For choosing electors of president and vice president, members of eengress, and U. S. senators, see ante, page 342--4. For supplemental act, see post chapter 141.

(2) Amendment inserted from Stat. 1852, page 144.

(3) See Stat. 1851, page 180--1.

(4) Amendment inserted from Stat. 1851, page 181.

(5) See Stat. 1851, page 180-1.

COMPILED LAWS OF CALIFORNIA.

election by state

SEC. 8. Whenever a special election is necessary to fill a vacancy Notices of special in any office which is to be filled by the vote of the qualified electors vote. of the state or of the district, the governor shall issue his proclamation, ordering such election in like manner as is provided in regard to general elections, and designating also the time at which it is to be held; and the county judge of each county in which such election is to be held shall give notice thereof as required in the sixth section of this act.

special election

SEC. 9. Whenever a special election is necessary to fill a vacancy Notices of in any county or township office, the county judge shall issue an or- by county vote. der for such election, designating the office to be filled and the time of holding the election, and shall publish the same in the manner required by the sixth section of this act.

ARTICLE II.

OF THE QUALIFICATIONS AND DISABILITIES OF ELECTORS.

vote at elections.

SECTION 10. Every white male citizen of the United States, and Who entitled to every white male citizen of Mexico who shall have elected to become a citizen of the United States under the treaty of peace exchanged and ratified at Queretaro, on the 30th day of May, 1848, of the age of twenty-one years, who shall have been a resident of the state six months next preceding the election, and the county or district in which he claims his vote, thirty days, shall be entitled to vote at all elections which are now or hereafter may be authorized by law.

purpose of voting

Residences for

be deemed

when not to

SEC. 11. For the purpose of voting, no person shall be deemed to have gained or lost a residence by reason of his presence or absence on the service of the United States, nor while engaged in the naviga- gained or lost. tion of the waters of this state or of the United States, or of the high seas; nor while a student of any seminary of learning; nor while kept at any almshouse or other asylum, nor while confined in any public prison.

to be an elector.

SEC. 12. No idiot or insane person, or person convicted of any in- Who not entitled famous crime, shall be entitled to the privileges of an elector.

not to affect question of

SEC. 13. Absence from this state on business of the state, or of What absence the United States, shall not affect the question of residence of person.

any residence.

defined.

SEC. 14. A crime shall be deemed infamous which is punishable Infamous crime by death or by imprisonment in the state prison.

Precincts for holding elections.

Inspectors and judges, how appointed.

Duties of inspectors.

Clerks, how appointed.

Board of judges, etc., to take oath.

Chairman of

ARTICLE III.

OF THE PLACE OF HOLDING ELECTIONS, AND ALSO OF INSPECTORS,
JUDGES, AND CLERKS OF ELECTIONS.

SECTION 15. There shall be a precinct for holding elections in each township designated by the court of sessions; but the court may, and the county judge, in vacation, may, if the convenience of the people require it, create additional precincts in any township at places where there are thirty or more resident voters: Provided, there shall not be more than one precinct in each ward of a city; and Provided further, that except within a city no two election precincts shall be nearer to each other than two miles. (1)

SEC. 16. When an election is ordered, the county judge shall appoint for each precinct, from the qualified electors of the township in which such precinct lies, one inspector and two judges, who shall constitute a board of judges of election. In case said board be not appointed for any precinct by the county judge, the electors present on the morning of the day of election, at the place where the polls are opened on the day of the last previous general election, may appoint a board of judges for such precinct. (2)

SEC. 17. It shall be the duty of each inspector to be at the place where the polls are to be opened in the precinct for which he is appointed, from eight o'clock in the morning until sunset on the day of the election. Should such inspector not appear at eight o'clock in the morning, the electors present at the place where the polls are to be opened, may appoint an inspector for the precinct. (3)

SEC. 18. The board of inspectors for each precinct shall, before the time of opening the polls, appoint two suitable persons to act as clerks. (4)

SEC. 19. Before any election shall be opened, the inspector, judges, and clerks shall each, before any officer authorized to administer oaths, take an oath that he will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties assigned him by law. If there is no person present authorized to administer oaths, the inspector shall administer the same to the judges and clerks, and one of the judges shall then administer the oath to the inspector.

SEC. 20. The inspector shall be chairman of the board, and after board of judges. its organization, shall have power to administer all necessary oaths

(1) Amendment inserted from Stat, 1851, p. 181.
(2) (3) (4) Amendments inserted from Stat. 1851, p. 181-2.

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