The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-06-02
THE ENFORCEMENT ACT.


An Act to enforce The right of citizens Of tho Unite
States to vote in the several statos OF this Unor
and for other purposes.
| Be Il enacted by the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives of tho United States OF America in Con
gress assembled, That all citizens of the United
States who are 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
dvis on shall be entitled and allowed to vote at all
such elections without distinction Of race, color,
previous condition of servitude; any constitution,
law, CUSTOM usage or regulation of any State or
Territory or by or under its authority to the con-
| trary Notwithstanding.
| SIC 2. And be ID further enacted. That il by or
under the authority of the constitution or laws of
any State the laws of any Territory, any act is or
shall be required to DO done prerequisite quali-
fcation for voting, and by such constitution laws
persons or officers are or shall be charged with the
performance OF duties in furnishing to citizens an
opportunity to perform such prerequisites to be-
come qualified 10 vote ii 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 any such person or
officer shall refuse or knowingly omit to give full eff
feet to thiss section he shall for every such offence
forfeit and pay the of five hundred dollars to
the person aggreved 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 lees than five hundred dollars, or be i'm
prisoned not less than one month and not more than
one year or both, at the discretion of the court.
SEC. 3. And be 1t further enacted. That wherever
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 entitle him to vote the
offer of any citizen to perform the act required to
be done aforesaid SHALL if it fail to Re carried into
execution by of the wrongful act or omission
aforesaid of the person officer charged with the
duty of receiving or 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
same manner and to the same extent as IL he had in
fact performed such act and any judge, inspector,
or other officer of election whose duty 1t is 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
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 was wrongtully 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 aggieved there
by, TO be recovered by action on the case, with
full costs and such allowance for counsel foes AS the
court shall deem jest and shall also Tor every such
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 other unlawful means, shall hin
der, delay, prevent obstruct, or shall
combine and confederate with others to hinder,
delay, prevent, obstruct, any citizen from doing
any act required to be done to qualify him to vote on
from voting at any election as 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 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
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 dsere-
ton of the court.
SEC s. And DO it further enacted, That if any per-
son shall prevent, hinder, control, or intmidate or
shall attempt to prevent, hinder, control intim
dae 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 tho United States, by means
of bribery, threats threats of deprving such per
son of employment or occupation, or oeJecting such
person from rented house, lands, other property,
by threats of refusing to renew leases or contracts
for labor, by threats of violence to himself or
family, such person offending shall be deemed
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 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 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 ars
ing under this act except as herein otherwise pro-
vded and the jurisdiction hereby conferred shall be
exercised in conformity with tho 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 or In cases of crimes and offences not infamous
the prosecution may be either by indictment in
formation filed by the district attorney in court
having Jurisdiction.