The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-03-29
THE NEW FORCE BILL.
coNeREss AND THE KU-K1Ux.
The Latest Measure of Reconstraetion.

WASHINGTON, March 2s.
The Senate spent the whole day In the dis
cussion of Summers. anti. Grant resolutions.
In the House, Shellabarger, from the special
committee on the Presidents Ku-Klux mes
sage, reported q bill for the enforcement OF
the Fourteenth amendment. II provides that
any person who, under color of law, statute,
regulation, custom or usage of any State,
shall subject or cause to be subjected any per-
son within the Jurisdiction of the United
States to the deprivation of any rights, privl-
leges OF immunities secured BY the first Sec
section of the fourteenth article OF the amend
ments to the Constitution otthe United States,
shall, any such law, statute, regulation, ordi.
nance, custom or usage of State to the con-
trary notwithstanding, be liable to the party
injured in an action of law, suit In equity, or
other proceedings for redress, such proceed.
ings to be prosecuted In the several district
or circuit courts of the United States, with and
subject to the same rights of appeal, review
upon error, and other remedies provided In
like cases In such courts under provisions of
the act of April 8, 1868, and other remedial
laws of the United States which are, in their
nature, applicable in such cases.
The second section provides that if two or
more persons shall band, conspire or combine
together to do any act In violation of the
rights. privileges and immunities Of any person
to which he Is entitled under the constitution
and laws Of the United States, which, if com.
mitted in place under the sole and exclu-
sive Jurisdiction Of the United States, would,
under any law of the United States there in
force, constitute the crime OF either murder,
manslaughter, mayhem, robbery, assault and
battery, perjury, subornation of perjury,
criminal obstruction of legal process, or resis-
tance OF officers in discharge of official duty,
arson or larceny, and If one or more Of the
parties to such conspiracy or combination shall
do any act to effect The object thereof, all the
parties to or engaged in said conspiracy or
combination, whether principals or accessories,
shall be deemed guilty Of felony, punishable
by fine of not exceeding ten thousand dollars,
or imprisonment not to exceed ten years, or
both, at the discretion of the court; provided,
that If any party or parties to such conspiracy
shall In turtherance of such common design
commit the crime Of wlllul murder, such party
or parties SO guilty shall upon conviction there
OF suffer death; and provided, also, that any
offence punishable under this act, begun in
one judicial district of the United States and
completed in another, may be dealt with, In
quired of, tried, determined and punished in
either district.
The third section authorizes the President to
employ the militia, land and naval forces Of
the United States, to suppress insurreotion,
domestic violence, or unlawful combinations
or conspiracies In any State, If the consti-
tuted authorities of such State shall be unable
to, or shall from any cause fall or refuse pro-
lection of the people in their rights and priv
ileges.
The fourth section authorizes the President
10 suspeuu tl,e wiIL VI hut,ruS cUf1'us, aun ~
declare martial law in any State where un-
lawful combinations exist, and be so powerful
as to overthrow or set at defiance the consti-
tuted authorities of the State, or IN any State
where the constituted authorities shall connlVe
at, or be in completely with, such unlawful
combinations; provided, that the President
shall have first made proclamation, as now
provided by law, commanding such insurgents
to disperse; and, provided, also, that the pro.
visions of this section shall not be In force
after the nrst day Of June, 1872.
The dominant party will allow until Monday
next for the discussion of the measure.
The Dominican report is not yet made. A
difference of opinion exists. A majority Of
the commission favor reporting in manner
which gives categorical answers to questions
without any recommendation for or against
annexation.