The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-05-01
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 it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives of the United States OF America in Con
gress assembled That all citizens of tho United
States who shall be otherwise qualified by law
to vote OF any election by the people in any State
Territory, district, county, city, parish, township,
school district municipality, 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,
law, custom, usage, or regulation of any State or
Territory or by or under its authority. to the
trary notwithstanding. .les
SEC. 2. And be IL further enacted That If by or
under the authority of the constitution or laws of
any State the laws of any Territory, any act Ia
shall be required to be done prere qusiie quali-
fcation for voting, and by such constitution laws
persons or officers are 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 oil citizens of the
United States the and equal opportunity to per-
form such prerequisite, and to become qualified to
without distinction of race, color, previous
condition of servitude; and if any such person or
officer shall refuse 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
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
misdemeanor, and shall, on conviction thereof be
fined not less than five hundred dollars, or be i'm
prsoned not less than one month aud not more than
year. or both, at the discretion of the court.
SEC. g. And be it further enacted, That whenever,
by under the authority of the constitution laws
of any State, or the laws of any Territory any act
is shall be required to be done by any citizen as
prerequisite to qualify entitle him to vote the
offer of any citizen to perform the act required to
be done aforesaid SHALL if it fail to be carried into
aforesaid of the person 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 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,
other officer of election whose duty it is shall
be to receive count certify register report giye
effect to the vote of any such. citizen who shall
wrongfully 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 of
the officer or person whose duty it to act there
on, and that he was wrongfuly 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 sggrieved there
BY to be recovered by action the case, with
full costs and such allowance for counsel fees the
court ahal deem just, and shall also for every such
offence be guilty OF misdemeanoE 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 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 him
der, delay. prevent, or obstruct, 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 or
from voting at any election Aforesaid such person
shall for every such offence forfeit and pay the
of five hundred dollars to the person aggreved there
by, to be recovered by 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 guilty of misdemeanor, and SHALL on con-
viction thereof be fined not less than five hundred
dollars or be imprisoned not less than month
and not more than year, both, at the discre-
ton of the court t, .E
SEC. g. And be it further enacted, That if any per
shall prevent, hinder, control, or ntimdate, or
shall attempt to prevent, hinder control or intimi-
date, any person from cisng 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 deprivng such per-
son of employment or occupation Of ejectng euch
person from rented house, lands, or other property
by threats of refusing to leases contracts
for labor, or by threats of violence to himself or
family, such person 80 Offending shall be deemed
guilty OF misdemeanor, and shall, on conviction
thereof, be Aned not less than five hundred dollars,
or be imprisoned not less than month and not
more than one year, or both, at the discretion of
the court.
SEQ 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 cognzanoe of all crimes and offences
committed against the provisions Of this act and
also, concurrently with the circuit courts OF tbe
United States of all causes civil and criminal arts.
ing under this act, except as herejr otherwise nro
vided and the jurisdiction eby conferred shall be
exercised N conloGrnty With the laws and practice
offences commit. ed against the provisions Of this act
i isS - prosecuted by the Indictment OF grand
~ry or in cases of crimes and offences not infamous
the prosecution may be either by Indictment or IN.
formation filed by the district attorney IN court
having Jurisdiction.