The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-05-25
THE nNFoeCEMENT ACT,
An Act to enforce the right Of citizens Of the Unite
States TO vote 10 the several States Of this Union
and for other purposes.

An Act to enforce the right Of citizens Of the Unite
States to vote 10 the several States Of this Union
and for other purposes.
| Be IL enacted by the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives of the United States OF America in Con
| gross assembled, That all citizens Of the United
States who are shall be otherwise qualified by law
to vote ct any election by the people in ans State
| Territory, district, county, city, parish township
school district municipality, other territorial sub
dyis on 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, or regulation OF any State or
Territory or by or under its authority to the
trary Notwithstanding.
SEc. 2. And be ii further enacted, That If by or
under the authority Of the constitution or laws OF
any State the laws of Territory, any act is or
shall be required to be done prerequisite quai-
fcaton for voting and by such constitution laws
persons or officers are shall be charged with the
perform of duties In furnishing to citizens an
opportunity to perform such prerequisite, or to be-
come qualified to vote, IL shall be the duty of every
such person and officer to give to all citizens Of the
United States the and equal opportunity to per-
form such prerequisite, and to become qualified to
vote without distinction of race, color, or previous
condition of servitude and If any such person
officer shall refuse or knowingly omit to give full Ell
feet to this section, he shall for every such offence
forfeit and pay the of five hundred dollars to
the person aggrisved thereby to be recovered by
action on the case with full costs and such allowance
for counsel fees as tho 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 one month and not more than
one year, or both at the discretion of the court.
SEC 8. And be 1t further enacted That whenever
by under the authority Of the constitution or laws
of any State, the laws of auy Territory, any act
is shall be required to be done by any citizen as
q prerequisite to qualify entitle him 60 vote, the
offer OF any citizen to perform the act required to
be done aforesaid shall If it fail to be carried into
execution by reason of the wrongful act or omission
aforesaid of the person or officer charged with the
duty of receiving permitting such performance or
offer to perform acting thereon, be deemed and
held as performance in law OF such act; and the
person so offering and failing as aforesaid, and being
otherwise qualified shall be entitled to vote in the
same and to the same extent as If ho 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 snail
wroDgfully refuse 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 name OF
the officer person whose duty It was to act there
on, and that he was wrongtuily 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 agSieved there
by, 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 guilty OF q 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.
a.
any person, by force, bribery, threats, intimi-
dation or other unlawful means, shall him
der, delay, prevent or oostruct, 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 as aforesaid such person
sh all 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 tho case, with
full costs and such allowance for counsel fees the
court shall deem just and shall also for every such
ba of m and abaiI IN
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 dscre-
ton of the court.
Ssc. s. And be 1t further enacted, That if any per-
son shall prevent hinder, control, or intmdate,
shall attempt to prevent hinder, control or ntim-
date any 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
of bribery, threats, threats of deprvng such per
person from rented house, lands, other property,
by threats of refusing to leases contracts
for labor, or by threats OF violence to himself or
family such person offending shall be deemed
guilty of msdemeanor, 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
SEC 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
vided and the urisdictioa 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 or in of crimes and offences not infamous
the prosecution may be either by indictment in
form alton fled by the district attorney in court
having Jurisdiction.