The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-05-04
THE ENFORCEMENT ACT.
An Act to enforce the right of citizens of the Unite
States to vote in the several States OF this Unior

An Act to enforce the right of citizens of the Unite
States to vote in the several States Of this Union
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatyes of tho United States OF America in Con
gress assembled, That all citizens of the United
States who are 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
division, shall be entitled and allowed to vote at all
such elections without distinction of race color, or
previous condition of servitude; any constitution,
law, custom, usage, regulation of any State or
Territory or by under its authority, to the
trary notwithstanding.
sEc 2. And be it further enacted. That If by or
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 prerequisite quail
cation for voting, and by such constitution or laws
persons or officers shall be charged with the
performan of duties in furnishing to citizens
opportunity to perform such prerequisites 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 equal opportunity to per-
form such prerequisite, and to become qualified to
vote without distinction of race, color, previous
condition of seryitude and if any such person or
officer shall refuse or knowingly omit to give full eff
feet to this section, he shall for every such offence
forfeit and pay the sum OF five hundred dollars to
the person aggrsved thereby, to be recovered by
action the case, with full costs and such allowance
for counsel fees as the court shall deem just, and
shall also, for every such offence, be deemed of
misdemeanor, and shall, on conviction thereof, be
fined not less than five hundred dellars, or be i'm
prisoned not less than month and not more than
one year, or both, at the discretion of the court
Sec. 8. And be it further enacted. That whenever
by under the authority of the constitution or laws
of any State, or the laws of any Territory, any act
Is shall be required to be done by any citizen
prerequisite to qualify entitle him to VOTE the
offer of any citizen to perform the act required to
be done as Aforesaid SHALL if it fail to be carried into
execution by OF the wrongful act omission
aforesaid of the person or officer charged with the
duty of receiving or permitting such performance
offer to perform or acting thereon, be deemed and
held as q performance in law of such act and the
person SO 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 it is or shall
be to receive count certify, register report or give
effect to the vote of any such citizen who shall
wrongfully refuse or omit to receive count certify
register report give effect to the vote of such cit
iZen upon the presentation by him of his affidavit
stating such offer and place thereof and the of
the officer person whose duty it to act there
on, and that he was wr0ngfully prevented by
such person or officer from performing such act,
shall for every such offence forfeit and pay the sum
OF five hundred dollars to the person aggrieved there
by, to be recovered by action-on the 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 o misdemeanor, and shall, on
conviction thereof, be fined not less than five hum
bred dollars, or be imprisoned not less than one
month and not more than one year, or both, at the
SEC. A. And be it further enacted, That if
any person, by force, bribery, threats, intimi-
dation, or other unlawful means, shall him
Combine and confederate with Others to hinder,
delay, prevent, or obstruct any citizen from doing
any act 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 an action on the case, with
full and such allowance for counsel fees as the
tt,af hall oil for
offence be guilty of misdemeanor, and shall,
yicton thereof be fined not less than five hundred
dollars, or be imprisoned not less than one month
and not more than one year. OF Dotn, AT the uscre-
ton Of the court.
SEC. g. And be it further enacted, That any per.
son shall prevent hinder, control, or innidate,
shall attempt to prevent hinder, CONTROL intimi
date any person from exercising or 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 means
of bribery threats threats of depriying such per
son of employment or occupation, ofejecting such
person from rented house. lands or other property,
or by threats of refusing to leases contracts
for labor or by threats of violence to himself
family such person offending shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall, on conviction
thereof be fined not less than five hundred collars,
or be imprisoned not less than one month and not
more than one year, or both, at the discretion of
the court
sEo g. And be 1t further enacted That the district
courts OF the United States, within their respective
districts shall have exclusively of the courts Of the
several States cogniZance OF all crimes and offences
committed against the provisions of This act and
also concurrentiy with the circuit courts Of the
United States of all causes civil and criminal aris
ing under this act except es herein otherwise pro-
vded 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
msy DO prosecuted By the indictment OF grand
Jury or In cases 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.