The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-05-30
THE ENFORCEMENT ACT.

An Act to enforce the right of citizens of the Unite
and for other purposes.
Be IL enacted by the senate and House of Repr
sentatives of the United States OF America In Con
gress assembled, That all citizens of the Unitet
States who or shall be otherwise qualified by Law
to vote at any election by the people in any State
Territory, district county, city, parish, township
school district municipality, other territorial sub
divs on shall be entitled and allowed to vote at al
such elections without distinction Of race color, oil
previous condition Of servitude; any constitution
law, custom, usage or regulation of any State oil
Territory or by or under its authority, to the con
trary Notwithstanding.
| SIC O. And be 1t further enacted, That If by OF
under the authority of the constitution or laws OF
any State the laws of any Territory any act Is
shall be required TO be done prerequisite quail
fcstion for voting and by such constitution or laws
| persons or officers shall be charged with the
performance of duties in furnishing to citizens an
opportunity to perform such prerequisite, or TO be-
qualified to vote, it shall be the duty of every
such person and officer to give to all citizens of the
United States the same and equal opportunity to per-
form 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 refuse knowingly omit to give full eff
feet to thiss section, he shall for every such offence,
forfeit and pay the sum of i've hundred dollars to
the person aggreved thereby, to be recovered by
action the case with full costs and such allowance
for counsel fees as THO court shall deem just, and
shall also, for every such offence, be deemed of
fined not less than five hundred dollars, or be i'm
prisoned not less than month and not more than
one year, both, at the discretion of the court.
SEC 3. And be it further enacted. That whenever
by under the authority Of the constitution laws
of any State the laws of any Territory any act
is or shall be required to be done by any citizen as
prerequisite to qualify entitle him to vote, the
offer of any citizen to perform the act required to
be done aforesaid SHALL If 1t fail to be carried into
execution by reason of the wrongful act or omission
aforesaid of the person officer charged with the
duty Of receiving permitting such performance or
offer to perform acting thereon, be deemed and
held as performance in law OF such act; and the
person offering and failing aforesaid, and being
otherwise qualified shall be entitled to vote in the
manner and to the same extent as If he had in
fact performed such act and any judge, inspector,
other officer of election whose duty 1T is or shall
be to receive count certify, register report, or give
effect to the vote of any such citizen who shall
wrongfully refuse omit to receive, count certify
register report give effect to the vote of such cit
zen upon the presentation by him of his affidavit
stating such offer and place thereof and the name of
the officer person whose duty It was to act there
on, and that he wrongfully prevented by
such person or officer from performing such act,
shall for every such offence forfeit and pay tho
OF five hundred dollars to the person aggieved there
by, to be recovered by an action on the case with
full costs and such allowance for counsel fees tho
court shall deem just, and shall also for every such
offence be guilty of q misdeneanor, and shall, on
conviction thereof, be fined not loss than five hum
dred dollars, or be imprisoned not less than one
month and not more than one year, or both, at the
discretion of the court.
\.
any person, by force, bribery, threats, intimi-
dation or other unlawful means, shall hin.
DER. delay. prevent, or .obstruct, or shall
combine and confederate with others to hinder,
delay, prevent, obstruct, any citizen from doing
any required to be done to qualify him to vote
from voting at any election as aforesaid such person
shall for every such offence forfeit and pay the
of five hundred dollars to the person aggrieved there
by, to be recovered by action tho case, with
full costs and such allowance for counsel fees the
court shall deem just and shall also for every such
offence be guilty OF mi6demeaDOr, and shall
victon thereof, be fined not less than five hundred
dollars, or be imprisoned not less than month
and not more than one year, or both, at the dsere
ton of the court.
SEQ. 6. And be it further enacted, That If any per-
shall prevent, hinder control, intimidate or
shall attempt to prevent, hinder, control or ntim
date any person from exercising In exercising the
right of suffrage to whom the right of suffrage is
secured or guaranteed by the fifteenth amendment
to the Constitution OF the United States, by
of bribery threats or threats of deprvng such per-
of employment occupation, of ejecting such
person from rented house, lands, other property
by threats of refusing to leases contracts
for labor, by threats of violence to himself
family, such person offending shall be deemed
guilty of misderneanor, and shall, conviction
thereof be fined not less than five hundred dollars
or be imprisoned not less than month and not
more than year, or both, at the discretion of |
the court.
SEC 8. And be 1t further enacted That the district
courts of the United States within their respective
districts shall have exclusively of the Of the
several States, cognizance of all crimes and offences
committed against the provisions of this act and |
also, concurrently with the circuit courts of the
United States of all causes. civil and criminal aris
ing under this act except herein otherwise pro-
vided and the jurisdiction hereby conferred shall be
exercised in conformity with the laws and practice
governing United States courts and all crimes and
offences committed against the provisions of this act
may BIO prosecuted by the indictment of grand |
jury In of crimes and offences not infamous
the prosecution may be either by indictment or in
formation filed by the district attorney in court
having Jurisdiction.