American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-12-19

WAsHINGroN, December 13, 1866.
THE DISTRICT SUFFRAGE BILL.
The great event Of the Senate was, to-
dav. the passage of the District suffrage
biil. The galleries were filled all day
with an audience, of which about one
half we're negroes. Several speeches
were made-the hest one by Mr. Foster
Of Connecticut, who advocated the edu>
catioua qualification. The vote on Dix
on's amendment for the reading aud wri>
ting qualification was as follows;
Yeas Anthony. Buckalew, Dixon,
Doolitile, Fogg, Foster, Hendricks, Nes
fnith, Patterson, Riddle and Willey-l1,
Nays: Brown, Cattell, Chandler, Conness,
Cowan Cresswell, Davis, Ednonds, Fes-
sender, Feelinghuysen, Grimes, Harris,
Henderson, Howe, Kirkwood, Lane, Nor
gan, Morrill,, Norton, POLAND, Pomeroy,
Ramsey, Ross. Salisbury Sherman,
Sprague, Stewart, Sumner, Trumbull,
Van Winkle, Wade. Williams, and Will
son-33. Yates would have voted in
the negative, but had parted with Rev
dy johnson.
PASSAGE OF THE BILL.
On the passage OF the bill the vote was
as follows: Yeas Anthony, Brown, Cat
tell, Chandler, Conness, Creswell, I'D
muuds, Fessenden, Fogg, Frelinghuysen.
Grimes, Harris, Henderson, Howard,
Howe, Kmkwood, Lane, Morgan, Morrill,,
Poland. Pomeroy, Ramsey. Ross, Sher-
man. Sprague, Stewart, Sumner, Trum-
bull, Wade, Wiley, Williams and Will
son-32 Nays; Buckalew, Uowan, Da,
WIS, Dixon, Doelittle, Foster, Hendricks,
Nesmith, Norton, Patterson. Riddle,
Salisbury and Van Winkle-13. Messrs
Yates and johnson had paired. Absent:
Fowler, Cragin, Guthrie, Nye and Me-
Eougall-5. If all the Senators had
been present and voting, the vote would
have been, yeas SO, nays 16, 1t will
take 35 to pass it over the expected
veto.
THE BILL.
The bill, as passed, is in the following
language, emitting the two last sections,
which prescribe punishment for offering
or receiving bribe; for the first named
ofFeuse the punishment ie $4,000 dollars
fine or two years Imprisonment, or both
for the last named, one years imprison>
ment and disfranchisement thereafter:
SECTION /. That from and after the
passage of this act each and every male
person, excepting paupers and persons
under the guardianship, Of the age OF
twenty-one years and upwards, who has
not been convicted of any infamous crime
or offense, and excepting persons who
may have voluntarily given aid and com
fort TO the rebels in the late rebellion, and
who shall have been oorn or naturalized
an the United States, and who shall
have resided in the SAID District for
the period of one year, and in the
ward or district in which he may
offer to vote three months next pre-
ce6ing any election therein, shall be en-
titled to the elective franchise, aud shall
be deemed an eector, and entitled to
vote at any election in said district with
out any distinction on account of color
or race.
SECTION 2. That any person whose du-
ty it shall be to receive voters at any
election within the District of Columbia
who shall wilfully refuse to receive or
who shall wilfully reject the vote of any
person entitled 10 such right under this
act shall be liable to an action of tort by
the person injured, and shall be liable on
indictment snd conviction if such act was
done knowingly, to fine not exceeding
FIVE thousand dollars or to Imprisonment
for term not exceeding one year in the
Jail of said District or to both.
SEo. 3. That if any person or persons
shall wilfully interrupt or disturb such
elector, in the exercise of such franchise,
he or they shall be deemed guilty of
misdemeanoT and on conviction there shall
be fined in any SUN not to exceed 81 900
or be imprisoned In the Jail in said dis>
trict for period not to exceed thirty
days, or both at the discretion of the
Court.
SEC, a. That it shall be the duty of
the several courts having criminal jurs
diction in said district to give this act in
special charge to the Grand Jury at the
commencement of each term of the court.
SEC. 5. That the Mayors and Alder
men of the cities of Washington and
Georgetown spectively ,on or before the
first day Of March in each year, shall
prepare list of the persons they Judge
to be qualified to vote in the several wards
of said cities in any election, and said
Mayors and Aldermen shall be in open
session to receive evidence of the quail
fcations of persons claiming the right to
vote in any election therein, and for cor
recting said lists on two days in each
year, not exceeding five days prior to
the annual election for the choice of city
officers, giving previous notice of the
time and place of such session in some
newspapers printed in said District.
SEC. g. That on or before the first day
of Mureh, the Mayors and Aldermen Of
said cities shall post up list of voters
thus prepared in one or more public pla-
ces in said cities respectively, at least ten
days prior to said elections
SEC. 7th. That the officers presiding
at any election shall keep and use the