New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-08-18
eiu 0rIea,ls 3 epnblifa,l.
soFficIAl loAaNAl OF The uNITEDsTA1es
afrlciAi JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS
o FIJI CIAL. ..s
LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.

1pun11c-No. 72.1

d s. [PUBLIc-NO. -.
AN ACT to enforce the right OF citizens OF
The United States to vote in the several
States of this Union, and for other pur
poses.
be It enacted BY the Senate and House OF
4 Representatives. of the United States OF
America in Congress assembled, That all
pcifixens of the United States who are or
.ahaU be otherwise qualified by law to vote
:atany election by the people in any State,
Territory, district, county, Guy, Etris w.
other territorial subdivision. shall be emit
ted and allowed to vote at all such cleo
fions. without distinction of race, color or
nrevious condition of servitude; any cOnsti-
fution. law, CUSTOM usage or regulation of
any State or Territory, or by or under its
authority to the contrary notwithstanding;
SEC. g And be it further enacted, That if
Eby or under authority of the constitution
or laws of any State, or the laws of any Ter
4 ritory, any act is or shall be required to be
done as q prerequisite or qualification for
voting, and by such constitution or laws
persons or officers are or shall be charged
with the performance of duties in furnishing
to citizens an opportunity to perform such
prerequisite or to become qualified to vote,
It shall be the duty of every such person
and officer to give all citizens of the United
States the same and equal opportunity to
perform such prerequisite, and to become
& qualified to vote without distinction of race
color, or previous condition OF servitude;
and If any such person or officer shall know
1ngly omit to give full effect to this section,
he shall, for every offense, forfeit and pay
> the sum of five hundred dollars to the per
son aggrieyed thereby, to be recovered by
an action on the case. with full costs and
such allowance for counsel fees as the court
shall deem just, and shall also, for every
such offense, be deemed guilty of INSIDE
noanOr, and shall, on conviction thereof, be
fined not less than five hundred dollars, or
be imprisoned not less than one month and
nat more than one year, or both, at the dis
erection Of the court.
SIC. 8. And be it further enacted, That
! whenever, by or under the authority of the
constitution or laws of any State, or the
laws of any, Territory, any act is or shall
sbe required to Ibe] done by any citizen as
"a prerequisite to qualify or entitle him to
vote, the offer Of any such citizens to per-
form the act required to be done as afore-
said shall, if it fail to be carried into exc
ecution by reason of the wrongful act or
omission aforesaid of the person or officer
charged with the duty of receiving or per-
.mitting such performance or offer to perform
<or acting thereon, be deemed and held as a
performance in law of such act and the per
son 60 offering and failing as aforesaid, and
to vote in the same manner and to the
same extent as if he had in fact performed
such act; and any judge, inspector, or other
officer of election whose duty it is or shall
be to receive, count, certify, register, re-
port, or give effect to the vote OF any such
citizen who shall wrongfully refuse or omit
to receive, count, certify. register. report or
the presentation by him of his affidavit
stating such offer and the time and place
thereof, and the name q the officer or per-
son whose duty it was to act thereon, and
TINT he was wrOngfully prevented by such
person or officer from performing such act,
Z shall for every such offense forfeit and pay
{ the sum of five hundred dollars to the person
aggrieved thereby, to be recovered by an
: action ON the case, with full costs and such
allowance for counsel fees as the court shall
deem Just, and shall also for every such
7ofense be guilty Of misdemeanOr, and
shall, on conviction thereof, be fined not
: less than five hundred dollars, or be impris-
oned not less than one month and not more
than one year, or both, at the discretion OF
the court.
SEC. A. And be it further enacted, That
il any person, by force, bribery, threats, in
timidati0n or other unlawful means, shall :
hinder, delay, prevent or Obstruct or shall
combine and confederate with others to him
der, delay prevent or obstruct, any citizen
from doing any act required to be done to
qualify him to vote or from voting at any
election as aforesaid, such person shall for
every such ofiense forfeit and pay the sum
of I've hundred dollars to the person
aggrieved thereby, to be recovered by an
action on the case, with full costs and such
Allowance for counsel fees as the court shall
deem Just, and shall also for every such
oiIense be .gnilty of misdemeanor, and
shall on conviction thereof. be fined
- L. ry1...I doll
or be imprisoned not less than one
zn0nth and not moreSthan one year, or both,
a. the discretion of the court.
SEC s. And be it further enacted, That if
any person shall prevent, hinder, control or
intimidate or shall attempt to prevent, him
der, control or intimidate, any person from
exercising or in exercising the right of
Gge Ia secured or guaranteed by the
the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution
of the United States, by means of bribery,
fhreats, or threats of depriying such person
Of employment or occupation, or of ejectng |
such person from rented house, lands, or
ether property. or by threats of refusing to
renew leases or contracts for labor, or by |
threats of violence to himself or family, |
such person SO offending shall be deemed
guilty Of misdemeanor, and shall, upon |
conviction thereof, be fined not less than five |
hundred dollars, or be imprisoned not less |
than one month and not more than one |
year, or both, at the discretion of the court. |
SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That if |
two or more persons shall band or conspire |
together, or go in disguise upon the public |
highway, or upon the premises of another, |
with intent to violate any provision of |
this act, or to injure, Cypress, |
threaten, or intimidate any citizen with |
intent to prevent or hinder his free exer-
else and enjoyment of any right of privi-
lege granted or secured to him by the Con- |
stitutiOn or laws of the United States, or |
because of his having exercised the same,
such persons shall be held guilty of felony, |
and, on conviction thereof, shall be fined or
imprisoned, or both, at the discretion of the |
cOurt-the tine not to exceed five thou
sand dollars, and the imprisonment not to
exceed ten years-and shall, moreover, be
thereafter ineligible to, and disabled from
holding, any office or place of honor, profit,
or trust created by the Constitution or laws
of the the United States.
SEC. 7. And be it further enacted That
if in the act of violating any provision in
either of the two preceding sections, any
other felony, crime, or niisdemeanor shall
be committed, the offender on conviction of
such violation Of said sections, shall be
punished for the same with such punish
ments as are attached to said felOnies,
crimes, and misdemean0rs by the laws OF
the State in which the Ofiense may be COM
mitted. t-sr
See. 8. And be it further enacted, That
the district courts of the United States,
within their respective districts, shall have,
exclusively of the courts OF the several
States, eognizance of all crimes and offenses |
committed against the provisions of this act,
and also, concurrentiy with the circuit |
courts of the United States, of all causes, |
civil and criminal, arising under this act, |
except as herein otherwise provided, |
and the iurisdietion herebY cnnfelred |