The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-05-17
THE ENFORCEMENT 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.

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 il enacted by the senate and House of Re pre-
| sentatives of the United States OF America in Con
| gress assembled, That oil citizens of the United
States who shall be otherwise qualified by law
| to vote at any election by the people in ans 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 servitude; any constitution,
| Jaw custom, usage, regulation of any State or
Territory, by under Its authority, to the
i trary Notwithstanding.
| SIC. 2. And be it further enacted That if 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 be done prerequisite quali
cation for voting, and by such constitution laws
persons or officers shall be charged with the
performance of duties in furnishing to citizens
opportunity to perform such prerequisite, or to be-
come qualified TO 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 this section, he shall for every such offence,
forfeit and pay the of five hundred dollars to
the person aggrieved thereby to be recovered by an
action the case, with full costs and such allowance
for counsel fees the court shall deem just, and
shall also, for every such offence be deemed of a
msdemeanor, and shall, on conviction thereof be
fined not lees than i've hundred dollars, 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 tho 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 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 reasonof the wrongful act or omission
aforesaid of the person or officer charged with the
duty of receiving or permitting such performance or
on, 60 or Cti tbpra ha
held as 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
same 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 |
wrongfuly 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 afiidavit
stating such offer and place the ee and the name OF
the officer person whose duty it was to act there
on, and that he was wrongfully prevented by |
such person or officer from performing such act,
shall for every such offence forfeit and pay the sum
five hundred dollars to the person aggrieved 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 a msdemeanor, and shall, on
conviction thereof be fined not less than five hun-
dred dollars, be Imprisoned not less than one
month and not more than one year, or both, at the
discretion of the court.
SEC. 4. And be it flu Their enacted, That If
any person, Dy force, oripery, threats, intmi-
der, delay. prevent, or 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
from voting at any election as aforesaid such person
shall for every such offence forfeit end pay the sum
I've 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
shall deem just and shall also for every such
offence be guilty of misdemeanor, and shall on con-
vction thereof, be fined not less than five hundred
dollars, or be imprisoned not less than one month
and not more than year, or both at the disere-
ton of the court
Bee. s. and be it further enacted, That if any per
son shall prevent, hinder control or intimidate, or
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
Of bribery threats threats Of deprving such per
son of employ ment occupation, ofejectng such
person from rented house, lands other property,
by threats of refusing to leases contracts
or labor, or by threats ofuvioence to himself or
amily, such person SO offending shall be deemed
guilty of msdemeanor, and shall, on conviction
thereof be fined not less than five hundred collars
Or be imprisoned not less THAI one month and not
more than one year, or both, at the discretion of
he court
SEC s. 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 cognzance of oil 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
ng under this act, except as herein otherwise pro |
,ided and the jurisdiction hereby conferred shall be
Exercised in conformity with the laws and practice
governing United States courts and all crimes and
1ences committed against provisions OF this
nay be prosecuted by the indictment of grand
ury, or, in of crimes and offences not infamous
he prosecution may be either by indictment or in
ormston filed by the district attorney in q court
having uri sdiction.