The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-05-31
TILE nNFoRCEMENT 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.
Be il enacted by the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatiyos of the United States OF America in Con.
gress assembled, That all citizens oil the United
10 vote at any election by the people in any state
Territory, district county, city, parish, township
school district, municipality, or other territorial sub
dyis on shall be entitled and allowed to vote at all
sncb elections without distinction Of race, color or
previous condition of servitude; any constitution,
law, custom, usage, regulation of any state or
Territory, by or under its authority 10 the con-
trary Notwithstanding.
SEc.2 2. And be il further enacted, Ihat IL by or
under the authority of the constitution or laws OF
any State or the laws OF any Ierrtoy any act Is OF
shall be required to be done as prerequisite or qua-
6catiou for voting and by such constitution or laws
persons or officers are or shall be charged with the
performance of duties in furnishing 10 cltzens an
opportunity to perform such prerequisite, or to be-
come qualified to vote, ii shall be the duty OF every
sucb person and officer to give to all citizens oil the
United States the and equal opportunity 70 per-
form such prerequisite, and to become qualineo TO
vote without distinction of race, color, or previous
condition of servitude; and If any such person or
officer shall refuse knowingly omit to give full Ell
feet to tbiss section he SHALL for every such offence
forfeit and pay the sum of five hundred dollars to
the person aggrieved thereby to be recovered by an
action on the case with full costs and such allowance
for counsel fees as tho court shall deem Just ana
shall Also for every such offence, be deemed OF a
misdemeanor, and shall, on conviction thereof, De
fnad NOT less than five hundred dollars, 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 il further enacted. That whenever
by or under the authority OF the constitution or laws
Of any State, or the laws of any Territory any act
ia or shall be required to be done by any citizen as
prerequisite to qualify entite him to vote, the
offer of any citizen to perform the act required 10
be done as aforesaid SHALL if fail to be carried into
execution by reason of the wrongful act or omission
ofo IF tha officer charged with the
duty of receiving permitting such performance or
offer to perform or acting thereon, DO deemed anu
held as performance in law OF such sct, any ine
person so Offering and failing aforesaid and being
otherwise qualified, shall be entitled TO vote IN tine
same manner and to the same extent as II he mad In
fact performed such act; and any JUDGE inspector,
or other officer of election whose duty 1t is or shall
be to receive count certify register report or give
effect to the vote of any such citizen VINO small
wrongfuy refuse or omit to receive, count, certiy,
register report or give effect to the vote OF such cit
izen upon the presentation by him of his affidavit
stating such offer and place thereof ana the name Oh
the officer or person whose duty 1t was to act there
on and that he was wrongfully prevented ny
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 sggieved there-
by to be recovered by an action on tn9 ease, WIN III
court shall deem just and shall also Tor every such
offence be guilty of misdeneanor, ana shati, on
conviction thereof, be fined not less than I'VE nun
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 il
any person, by force, bribery threats, intimi'
dation or other unlawful means, shall HIN.
der, delay, prevent, or oostruct. or shail
combine and confederate with others to hlnder
DELAY prevent or obstruct, any citizen from doing
any act required to be done to qualify him to vote OIL
from voting at any election aforesaid such person
shall for every such offence forfeit and pay the sum
of We hundred dollars to the person aggreved there
by. to be recovered by action on the case, with
full costs and such allowance for counsel lees as tt
court shall deem just, and shall also for every sucf
offence be guilty of misdemeanor and SHALL on con
yction 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.
| SEQ s. And be it further enacted, That if any per
| son shall prevent hinder, CONTROL or intmidate, OIL
shall attempt to prevent hinder, control or ntimi
date any person from exercising or in exercising tn
| right of suffrage, to whom the right OF suffrage II
| secured or guaranteed by the fifteenth amendmen
to the Constitution of the United States, by mean
of bribery threats threats of deprivng such per
son of employment occupation, ofejectlng huct
person from rented house, lands or other property
or by threats of refusing to renew leases or contract
| for labor, or by threats OF violence TO himself o.
family, such person SO offending snail pc oeeme'
| guilty of a msdemeanor, and shall, on CONVICTION
thereof be fined not less than five hundred collars
| or DO imprisoned not less than one month and no
more than one year, or both, at the discretion o
| the court
SEC g. And be it further enacted, That the distric
courts of the United States within their respectiv
districts shall have exclusively OF the courts Of tn
several States cognizance of all crimes and offence
| committed against the provisions of this act an
also, concurrenty with the circuit courts OF th
United States of all causes civil and criminal arii
ing under this act, except herein otherwise pre-
yided and tho jurisdiction hereby conferred shall
exercised in conformity with the laws and practic
governing United States courts and all crimes an
offences committed against the provisions of this at
may be prosecuted BY the Indictment oil gran
Jury or in cases of crimes and offences not infamous
the prosecution may be either by indictment or il
formation filed by the district attorney in coui
having jurisdiction.