The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-06-07
The Civil Rights Bill.
We publish below the Civil Rights
Bill as it recently passed the Congress
over the Presidents Veto:


to be citizens of the United States and such citi-
zens of every race and color, without regard 10
any previous condition of slavery or involuntary
! seryitude except as a punishment for crime
whereof the party shall ave been duly convicted,
shall have the same right in every State ana Ter
| ritory in the United States to make and enforce
! contracts to sue, be parties, and give evidence,
to inherit purchase lease, sell, hold, and convey
real and personal property and to full and equal
benefit OF all laws and proceedings for the securi-
ty of person and property as is enjoyed by white
citizens and shall be subject to like punishment,
pains ami penalties, and to none other, any law,
: statute ordinance, regulation, or custom to the
contrary Notwithstanding.
! sec , Ind be it Jurthe,' endcted, That any per-
son who under color of any law, statute, ordl
nance regulation, or CUSTOM shall subject, or
cause to be subjected any inhabitant of any State
or Territory to the deprivation OF aAy right Sc
cured protected by this act, or to different
punishment, pains, penalties on account Of
such person having at any time been held in a
condition of slavery or involuntary servitudc, eX
cept punishmc for crime whereof the party
snail have been duly convicted, or by reason of
his color or race than is prescribed for the pun
ishment of white persons, shall be deemed guilty
of misdemeanOr, and, on conviction, Shall be
punished by fine not exceeding one thousand dol
lars. or imprisonment not exceeding one year, or
BOTH in the discretion of the court.
SEC. ). -1d be IL TifHe5' "HHcte0, That the dis
trict courts OF the United States, within their re-
spectivc districts shall have, exclusively OF the
/ courts of the several States, cognZance of all
crimes and offences committed against the prOvi-
sions of this act, and also, concurrently with the
circuit of the United States, OF all causes,
.
MED cannot enforce in the courts or Judicial
tribunals of the State or locality where they may
be- any of the rights secured to them by the hrSt
section Of this act; and if any suit or prosecution
civil criminal, has been shall be commenced
i'll any State court against any such person. for
any canse whatsoever against any officer, civil
! military, other person, for arrest or lnlpri-
sonmcnt, trespasses, or wrongs done or commit,
ted bv virtue or under color of authority derived
from this act or the act establishing bureau for
the relief OF freedmen and refugees, and all acts
amcndatory thereof: or for refusing to do any ac-
upon the ground that it would be inconsistent
with this act such defendant shall have the right
10 remove such cause for trial TO the proper dist
trct o circuit court in the manner prescribed by
the Act relating To httbcaS corpus and regulating
judicial proceedings in certain cases. approved
March three, eighteen hundred and sixty-thrcc,
and all acts amendatory thereof. The jurisdic-
ton in civil and criminal matters hereby confer
red on the district and circuit courts OF the nit
ed States shall be exercised and enforced in con-
fOrmity with the laws of the United States, far
lis such laws are suitable to carry the same into
effect (; but in all cases where such laws not
adapted To the object or are deficient i'll the pro-
visions necessary 10 furnish suitable remedies and
punish offences against law, the common law,
modified and changed by the constitution and
statutes oi the State wherein the court having
jurisdiction of the cause, civil or criminal. is
held, tar = the same is not inconsistent with
the Constitution and laws OF the United States
shall be extended TO and govern said courts in
the trial and disposition of such cause, and, if of
Il criminal nature, in the infection of punishment
on the party found guilty.
SEC. i. amt be 1t Tu,t5er enactsd, That the dis
trICt attorneys. HarSta>, ana deputy marSl!alS Of
the lnitcd States, the commissioners appointed
by the circuit and territorial courts of the United
States, with powers OF irrcSting, lnpriSOning, or
baiiin.c offenders against the laws OF the United
States, the officers and agents of the Freedmen's
Bureau, and every other officer who may be spe-
cIally empowered by the President OF the United
States, shall be- and they hereby, specially
authorized and required, ut the expense of the
United States to institute proceedings against all
and every person who shall violate the provisions
OF this act, and him or them to be arrested
imprisoned,
for trial before such court OF the United States
territorial court as by the act has cognizance of
the offence. And with the view affordinS rca-
sonablc protection to all persons in their cOnsti-
tutional rights of equality before the law without
distinction of race or Color or previous cOndi-
ton of slavery involuntary servitudc, except
Il punishment for crime, whereof the party
shall have been duly convicted, and 10 the prompt
discharge of the duties OF this act, ii shall be the
duty of the circuit courts of the United States
and the superior courts of the Territories of the
United States, from time to time, to increase the
number of commissioners as to afford speedy
and convenient means for the arrest and cNamina
ton OF persons charged with violation of this
act And such commissioners are hereby author
lied and required to exercise and discharge all
the powers and duties conferred on them by this
act. and the same duties with regard to offences
created by this act, is they are Authorized by law
, exercise with regard to other offences against
the Jaws of the United States.
SEC. }. Ind be Tirtter enacted, That it shall
be the duty of all lnarshals and deputy maTShalS
TO obey and execute all warrants and prcccpts is
sued under the provisions of this act, when to
uty marshal refuse to receive such warrant
other process when rendered, or 10 all proper
means diligently to execute the same he shall, on
conviction thereof, be fined in the sum of one
thousand dollars, to the use of the person upon
whom the accused is alleged to have committed
the offence And the better to enable the said
commissioners to execute their duties faithfully
and efficiently in conformity with the COnstitu-
ton OF the United States and the requirements of
this act, they hereby authorized and empOw-
cred, within their counties respectively, to APP
point, i'll writing, under their hands, any one or
more suitable persons, from time to time, to exc
cute all such warrants and other process as may
be issued by them in the lawful performance of
their respective duties; and the persons ap-
pointed TO execute any warrant or process as
aforesaid shall have authority to summon and
call to their aid the bystanders or the posse
uGtus of the proper county, or such portion of
the land and naval forces of the United States,
the militia, as may be necessary to the perfor-
nance of the duty with which they charged,
and to insure a faithful observance of the clause
of the Constitution which prohibits slavery, in
conformity with the provisions of this act; and
said warrants shall run and be executed by said
officers anywhere in the State Territory within
which they are issued.
SEC. e. Ind be it. further enacted, That any per-
son who shall knowingly and willfully obstruct,
hinder, or prevent any officer, other person
charged with the execution of any warrant or
process issued under the provisions of this act,
or any person or persons lawfully assisting him
or them, from arrestng any person for whose ap
prehension such warrant process may have
been issued or shall rescue or attempt to rescue
such person from the custody of the officer, 9th
persons or persons, or those lawfully assisting
aforesaid when arrested pursuant to the
authority herein given and declared, or shall aid,
abct, or assist any person arrested aforesaid
directly or Indirectly, to escape from the custody
of the officer or other person legally authorized
aforesaid, or shall harbor or conceal any person
for whose arrest warrant process shall have
been issued as aforesaid, to prevent his dis
covery and arrest after notice or knowledge of the
fact that warrant has been issued for the appre-
henson of such person, shall, for either of said
offences, be subject to fine not exceeding one
Thousand dollars, and Imprisonment not exceed
ing six months, by indictment and conviction be-
fore the district court ofthe United States for the
district in which said offence may have been
committed, or before the proper court of GRIM
inal Jurisdiction, if committed within any one of
the organized Territories of the United States.
Sec. z. and be it further enacted, That the dis
II let attorneys, the marshals, their deputies, and
the clerks of the said district and Territorial
courts shall be paid for their services the like
fees as may be allowed to them for similar servi-
ces in other cases; and in all where the pro-
ceedings are before commissioner, he shall be
entitled to fee often dollars in full for his servi
ces in each case inclusive of all services incident
to such arrest and examination. The person or
persons authorized to execute the process to be
issued by such commissioners for the arrest of
offenders against the provisions of this act shall
be entitled to fee n five dollars for each person
he or they may arrest and take before any such