Mr. HENDRICKS. I have an objection to this amendment not suggested by my friendfrom Pennsylvania. It is that these officers are to beoby a court, although they in no way have any connection with the court itself. This is the 1st bill in which it is pro posed, I believe, to confer the appointment of a political officer upon a court. I shall regret to see it done. This court, in the discharge of its official duties, has no connection with duties of this sort, and is not necessarily brought in contact with the people so as to qualify it specially for the appointment of a board such as is provided for in this amendment. The 1st and 2nd sections of this bill are unobjectionable to me, if the matter is not already provided for, except that I think the punishment prescribed is too severe. I think you will fail to execute a law with a penalty so severe as this. I think in our western States, at least, the punishment for illegal voting is not so severe, and even then it is somewhat difficult to execute the law. By this bill the punishment of necessity must be imprisonment for not less than 2 months. I regard the offense of illegal voting as a very grave one; but I think it will be found impossible to execute so severe a law as this against that particular offense. I suggest, therefore, to the chairman that he had better leave it in the discretion of the court to impose a fine or to add imprisonment at its discretion. It often occurs that persons of very weak mind and having little consideration of these subjects are induced to cast a vote by the act of others, and juries are not willing to impose such a severe punishment in all cases. There may be cases in which the punishment of imprisonment ought to be imposed; but in many cases I think it will be found impossible to get juries to execute so severe a law. I suggest to the gentleman having this bill in charge to punish illegal voting by fine, to which the court in its discretion may add imprisonment. I believe" that in the code of the DistCol the punishment is decided by the court and not by i. jury. In the State in which I live the punishment is always decided upon by the jury. I think it would be better to provide in these 2 sections a fine not exceeding $1,000, to which the court may add imprisonment not exceeding 6 months. I am opposed to the 3rd section for the reasons suggested by the Senfrom Pennsylvania, and the further reason that it gives to the court the appointment of officers not of the court itself. }. we ought to have the yeas&nays on that amendment.