Qualification for mayor. SEC. 72. That hereafter no person shall be eligible to the office of Mayor or Commissioner of said town except freeholders within the corporate limits of said town. SEC. 73. That this act shall be in force from and after its ratification. In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 5th day of March, A. D. 1903. New sections substituted. Elections. Registrars. Registration. CHAPTER 291. AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF AND TO AUTHORIZE The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact: SECTION 1. That sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of chapter 387, Private Laws 1893, be stricken out, and the following be inserted in lieu thereof: Section 4. On Tuesday after the first Monday in May, 1903, and biennially thereafter, there shall be an election held in the town of Wilson for the purpose of electing such officers of said town as are now or may hereafter be elected by the electors of said town. Section 5. The Board of Commissioners of said town shall select, at least thirty days before the election provided for in the preceding section, one person for each ward in said town, who shall act as registrar of voters for said ward; said Board of Commissioners shall make publication of the names of the persons so selected, at the town hall, or in a newspaper published in said town, immediately after such appointment, and shall cause notice to be served upon said persons by the chief of police of said town. If any registrar shall die, resign or neglect to perform his duties, said Board of Commissioners of the town may appoint another in his place. Said Board of Commissioners shall provide for said registrar registration books. The registrars, after being duly sworn by some person authorized to administer oaths to faithfully discharge the duties of registrar as prescribed by law, shall revise the registration books of their ward in such manner that said books shall show an accurate list of the electors previously registered in such ward and still residing therein, without requiring such electors to be registered anew, unless said Board of Commissioners shall have ordered and required a new registration as is hereinafter provided; said registrars shall also, between the hours of nine o'clock A. M. and five o'clock P. M. on each day (Sunday excepted), for seven days preceding the day for closing the registration books as hereinafter provided, keep open said books for the registration of any new electors residing in such ward and entitled to register, whose names have never before been registered in such ward or do not appear in the revised list; that said books shall be open until 9 o'clock P. M. of each Saturday during such registration period; that said books shall be closed for registration on the second Saturday before each election under section 4 above. Section 6. That on the second Saturday before the election said registration books shall be kept Inspection of regisopen at the polling place in the ward to the inspection of the tration books. electors of the ward, and any of said electors shall be allowed to object to the name of any person appearing on said books. In case of any such objection the registrar shall enter upon Challenges, his books opposite the name of the person so objected the word "Challenge," and shall appoint a time and place on or before the Monday immediately preceding election day, when he, together with such judges of election, shall hear and decide said objection, giving personal notice to the voter so objected to; and if for any cause personal notice cannot be given, then it shall be sufficient to leave a copy thereof at his residence. If any person challenged or objected Judges of election. to shall be found not duly qualified, the registrar shall erase his name from the books. The Board of Town Commissioners shall, on or before the first Monday of April immediately preceding such election, appoint two judges of election, who shall be men of good character, able to read and write, at each place of holding such elec tion in said town. The said judges of election shall attend at the Duties and powers. places for which they are severally appointed on the day of election, and they, together with the registrar for such ward, after being sworn by some person authorized to administer oaths, to conduct the election fairly and impartially, according to the Constitution and laws of the State, shall open the polls and superintend the same until the close of the election; they shall keep poll books in Poll books. which shall be entered the name of every person who shall vote, and at the close of the election they shall certify the same over their proper signatures and deposit them with the said Board of Town Commissioners. Section 7. No registration shall be allowed on the day of Persons coming of age on election election, but if any person shall give satisfactory evidence to the regis- day, etc. trar and judges of election that he has become of age of twenty-one years on the day of election, or has for any other reason on that day become entitled to register and vote, he shall be allowed to register and vote. When any person is challenged, the registrar and judges Hearing chal of election shall hear and determine the cause of challenge under lenges. the rules and regulations prescribed by the general law regulating elections for members of the General Assembly, and all qualified Period of residence electors who shall have resided for ninety days immediately pre- in ward. ceding an election within the limits of any ward, and not otherwise, shall have the right to vote for such town officers. Section 8. The polls shall be open on the day of election from 8 o'clock A. M. Opening and closing of polls. Ballots. Ballot boxes. Count of ballots. Illegal ballots not counted. till sunset, and no longer; and each person whose name may be registered shall be entitled to vote. Immediately after aný election the registrar and judges of election shall deposit the registration and poll books for the respective wards with the Board of Town Commissioners or their clerk. All ballots shall be printed or written upon white paper and shall be of the same size, without device, mutilation or ornamentation. The Board of Town Commissioners shall provide for each ward in said town necessary ballot boxes in which to deposit the ballots; each of said boxes shall have an opening through the lid to admit a single folded ballot, and no more. Said ballot boxes shall be kept by the judges of election for the use of said election precincts respectively; and the said registrar and judges of election, before the voting begins, shall carefully examine the ballot boxes and see that there is nothing in them, and said boxes shall be sealed or securely fastened and not opened until the polls are closed. Section 9. When the election shall have been finished the registrar and judges of election shall open the boxes and count the ballots, reading the names aloud of the persons which shall appear on each ticket; and if there shall be two or more tickets rolled together, or if any ticket shall contain the names of more persons than the elector has the right to vote for, or shall have a device or ornament upon it, in either of these cases such ticket shall not be numbered in the taking the ballots, but shall be void, and the said counting of votes shall be contained [continued] without adjournment until completed, and the result thereof declared. The registrar and judges of election in each ward shall appoint one of their number to attend the meeting of the Board of Town Canvassers as a member thereof, and shall deliver to the member who shall have been so appointed the original returns or statement of the result of the election in such ward, and the members of the several wards who shall have been so appointed shall attend the meeting of the Board of Town Canvassers in which they shall have been appointed members thereof. The members of the several wards thus appointed shall constitute the Board Canvass of returns. of Town Canvassers for such election. The Board of Town Canvassers shall meet on the next day after the election at 12 o'clock M., at the Mayor's office, and they shall each take the oath prescribed in the general law governing elections in this State for members of the Board of County Canvassers. The Board of Town Canvassers shall at their said meeting, in the presence of said electors as choose to attend, open and canvass and judicially determine the returns and make abstracts, stating the number of votes cast in each ward for each office, the name of each person voted for and the number of votes given to each person for each different office, and shall sign the same. Said board shall have power and authority to judicially pass Board of town canvassers. canvassers. upon all the votes relative to the election and judicially determine Power of board of and declare the result of the same, and they shall have power and authority to send for papers and persons and examine the latter upon upon two opposing candidates, the result Section 10. All other elections held in said oath; and in case of a tie shall be determined by lot. town of Wilson than those held on Tuesday after the first Monday in Elections, when May in any year, for any municipal purpose, shall be deemed and held. held a special election. purpose by order of the Board of Town Commissioners, who shall for Publication of thirty days before such special election is held give notice of such elec- notice. tion by posting notice at the Mayor's office in said town and by publication in some newspaper published in the town; said notice shall state the purpose for which said special election is held, and the day Said special elections may be ordered for any how governed. for holding the same. Said special elections shall be held under the Special elections, same rules and regulations as are herein provided for the holding of the elections for town officers: Provided, that before any election Proviso. is had or held under the provisions of this amended charter, the Board of Town Commissioners may order an entirely new registra- New registration. tion of the voters of said town; in such case only those who register anew shall be entitled to vote at such election. vate Laws 1893. ed. SEC. 2. That section seventeen of chapter 387, Private Laws 1893, Chapter 387, Pribe amended by inserting between the words "necessary" and "pro- Section 17 amendvided,” in line four of said section, the following: "Also provide Fire department. proper and effectual means, rules and regulations to prevent and Police powers. Contagious disextinguish fires in said town; to prevent and suppress and remove eases. nuisances; to make proper provisions and take all necessary measures to preserve said town from contagious and infectious diseases and to declare and enforce quarantine regulations; to make provision and take all proper measures to preserve the peace and good order in said town; to determine, when necessary, the boundaries of the Power over streets, streets, sidewalks and alleys of said town, and to establish new streets, lanes, alleys and sidewalks, and to have supervision and control of said streets, lanes, alleys and sidewalks in said town; power to cause all alleys, lots, cellars, privies, styes, stables and other places of similar character to be examined, cleaned, removed etc. trains, etc. or abated; power to regulate the speed at which railroad engines and Power to regulate trains shall run within the limits, and to require said railroad or speed of railroad railroads to keep the street crossings in good repair, and to macadamize the crossing the width of the street in the same manner and with like macadam as the street is macadamize with, whenever the town macadamizes the street up to the right of way over said railroad crossings, and to require and compel said railroad company or companies to provide and maintain proper and suitable gates or watchmen at all street crossings in said town; power to make pro- Taxing power. vision for regulating, licensing or restraining theatrical and other Fines, penalties, etc. Government of electric light plants, etc. Police powers. Street 1mprovements. Bawdy houses. Section 25 amended. Section 35 amended. Section 45 amended. Chapter 293, Private Laws 1901, amended. public amusements within said town, and all bill-posters and advertisements thereof; power to impose and collect and appropriate fines, penalties, forfeitures and imprisonment for the breach of the ordinances, rules and regulations prescribed and adopted by said Commissioners; power to make and adopt such rules, regulations and ordinances for the control, government, management and operation of all electric light plants, water-power and sewerage systems in said town as may be deemed proper by said Commissioners; power to determine, designate and regulate the route and grades of any railroad or street-railway laid or to be laid on or over any street in said town; power to restrain, prohibit and punish drunkards, vagrants, mendicants, street beggars and persons soliciting alms or subscriptions; power to regulate the vending of wood, meats, vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry and provisions of all kinds, and to prescribe the time and place for selling same; power to provide for paving, cleaning, repairing and keeping in repair and order the streets, sidewalks and alleys within the town; power to suppress, regulate, restrain and prohibit bawdy-houses, and to impose fines and penalties upon owners and agents knowingly renting or leasing houses or buildings to persons who conduct or maintain bawdyhouses within said town; such other and further powers necessary for the good government of the said town and not inconsistent with the laws of the State. SEC. 3. That section twenty-five, chapter 387, Private Laws 1893, be amended by inserting before the word "who" in line thirteenth the words "or Mayor." SEC. 4. That section thirty-five, chapter 387, Private Laws 1893, be amended by striking out the word "one-tenth" in line tenth and insert in lieu thereof the word "one-fourth." SEC. 5. That section forty-five, chapter 387, Private Laws 1893, be amended by inserting after the word "a" at end of line 1 and before the word "line" in line two thereof the words "street or." SEC. 6. That section three, chapter 293, Private Laws 1901, be amended by striking out the word "five" in line six thereof and Relating to borrow- insert in lieu thereof the word "fifteen." ing money. Amendment relative to paving streets, etc. Power to incur SEC. 7. That section eight, chapter 293, Private Laws 1901, be amended by striking out in lines four and five the following words: "pave one-half of the streets and" and insert in lieu thereof the following: "pay for the curbing and to grade and pave the." SEC. 8. That the town of Wilson is hereby authorized and emadditional debt for powered to create an additional debt for grading, macadamizing and street improve ments, sewerage and water works, Amount. Issue of bonds. paving the streets and sidewalks and for extending the sewerage and water-works system of said town to an amount not exceeding forty thousand dollars, exclusive of the amounts and sums heretofore authorized to be created by the charter of said town, and for that purpose may issue bonds in the name of the town of Wilson in such |