The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-04-26
THE HNFORCEMENT ACT.

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-
sentatives of the United States OF America in Con
gress assembled, That all citizens of the United
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 or other territorial sub
division, shall be entitled and allowed to vote at all
such elections, without distinction of race color,
previous condition of servtude any constitution,
law, custom, usage, or regulation Of any State or
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
shall be required to be done prerequisite quail
cation 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, 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, previous
condition of servitude; and if my such person or
officer shall refuse or knowingly omit to give full ef
feet to this section, he SHALL for every such offence
forfeit and pay the sum of five hundred dollars to
the person aggrieved thereby to be recovered by
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 offence, be deemed of
misdemeanor, and shall, on conviction thereof be
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. 8. And be it further enacted That whenever,
by 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 by any citizen as
prerequisite to qualify or entite 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 reason OF the wrongful act omission
aforesaid of the person or officer charged with the
duty of receiving permitting such performance or
offer to perform or acting thereon be deemed and
held as performance in law of such act; and the
person SO offering and falling aforesaid and being
otherwise qualified, shall be entitled to vote in the
same manner and to the same extent if he had in
fact performed such act and any judge, inspector,
or other officer of election whose duty it is shall
be to receive count certify register report give
effect to the vote of any such citizen who shall
wrongfully refuse omit to receive, count certify,
register report or 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 was to act there
on, and that he was wrongfully prevented by
such person officer from performing such act,
shall for every such offence forfeit and pay the
OF five hundred dollars to the person aggreved there
BY, to be recovered by an 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 misdemeanor, and shall, on
conviction thereof, be fined not less than five hun
bred dollars, or be imprisoned 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 If
any person, by force bribery, threats, intimi-
dation, or other unlawful means, shall him
der. delay. prevent, or obstruct, or shall
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 aforesaid such person
shall for every such offence forfeit and pay the sum
of five hundred dollars to the person aggreved 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 misdemeanor, and SHALL con-
victon 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 discre-
ton of the court. IA fr3i4
SIC. s. And be it further enacted That If any per-
son shall prevent, hinder, control or intimidate, or
shall attempt to prevent hinder, CONTROL or intimi
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 means
of bribery threats threats of depriyng such per
son of employment or occupation, or DETECTING such
person from rented house, lands or other property,
or by threats of refusing to leases or contracts
for labor, or by threats Of violence to himself or
family, such person SO offending shall be deemed
guilty Of q misdemeanor, and shall, on 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
SEQ g. And be 1t further enacted That the district
courts OF the.Unted States, within their respective
districts shall have exclusively Of the Of tho
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 arts
ing under this act except as 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 be prosecuted by the indictment OF grand
jury, in OF crimes and offences not Infamous
the prosecution may be either by Indictment in
formation filed by the district attorney In court
having Jurisdiction.