The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1875-02-12
Passage of the Civil Rights Bill.

WASHINGTON, February 5.-The civil
rights bill was finally disposed of in the
House to-day, after a long and exciting
debate, in the presence of an immense
assemblage. The first vote was on the
amendment offered by Mr.. Kellogg, of
Connecticut. to strike out of the House
bill the provision relating to schools,
and that was carried by a large majority,
but without the yeas and. nays. The
next vote was on the motion of Mr.. Cess
ma, of Pennsylvania, to substitute the
Senate bill for the House bill, and that
was defeated. The bill was then passed
yeas 1853, nays 100.
The next vote was on attaching as a
preamble to the bill a clause of the Dem
0cratic national platform of 1872, affirm
ing the equality of all men before the
law. That was adopted by a vote of 219
yeas to 26nays, the nays being all South
ern Democrats, with n Northern Re-
Observation-Disclosures, OF New York.
The bill now goes to the Senate fol-
action as an original House bill, having
no relation whatever to the bill passed
by the Senate.
The following is the bill as passed,
emitting the preamble:
SECTION /. That all persons within
the jurisdiction of the United tatessha
be entitled to the full and equal enjoy
ment Of the accommodations, adVant-
ages, facilities and privileges of inns,
public cOnveyances on land or water,
theatres and other places of public
amusements, subject only to the c0ndi-
tions and limitations established by law
and applicable alike to citizens of every
race and color, regardless of any previous
condition of servitude.
Sec. 2. That any person who shall
violate the foregoing section, by denying
to any citizen, except for reasons by law,
applicable to citizens of every race and
color, and regardless OF any previous
conditions of seryitude, the full enjoy
ment of any of the. accommodations, ad,
vantages, facilities or privileges in said
section enumerated, or by aiding or IN
citingsu denial, shall for every such of
fenseforfeitand pay the sum OF $5O0tothe
person a~ggrieved thereby, to be recover
ed in an action of debt, with full costs,
and shall, for every such offense, be
deemed guilty of q misdemeanOr, and
upon conviction thereof shall be fined
not less than $500, nor more than $1,000
or shall be imprisoned not less than
thirty DAYS nor more than one year
provided, that all persons may elect To
sue for the penalty aforesaid, or to
proceed under their rights at common
law and by State statutes, and having
so elected to proceed in the mode OIL
the other, their right to proceed in the
other jurisdiction shall be barred, but
the provisO shall not apply to criminal
proceedings, either under this act or the
criminal law of any State and provided,
that ajudgment for the penalty in favor
of the party aggrieyed, or q judgment
upon an Indictment, shall be a bar to
either prosecution respectively.
Sec. 8. That the district and circuit
courts of the United States shall have,
exclusively of the courts Of the several
States. cognizance of all crimes and of
lenses against violations of the provis-
ions Of this act and actions for the
penalty given by the preceding section
may be prosecuted in the territorial,
district, or circuit courts of the United
States, wherever the defendant may be
found without regard to the otherparty,
and the district attorneys. marshals and
deputy marshals of the United States
and commissioners appointed by the
circuit and territorial courts OF the
United States, with powers OF arresting
and i~mprisoning or baillng offenders
against the laWs1Of the United States,
ape hereby specially authorized and
required toinstitnte proceedings against
every person who shall violate the pro-
visions Of this act and cause him to be
arrested and imprisoned, or bailed, as
ease MAY be, for trial before such court
of the United States or territorial court
AS by law has ~GOgniZance of the Offense,
except i'm respect Of the right OF action
accruing to the person aggrleved, and
such district attorneys shall cause such
DroceedingstO be prosecuted to their ter
mination as in other cases provided
that nothing contained in this section
shall be construed to deny or defeat any
right of civil action accruing to any
person whether by reasono of this act or
otherwise, and any district attorney
who shall willfuliy fail to institute and
prosecute the proceedings herein re-
CURED, shall, for every such otfense,
forfeit and pay the sum of $500 to the
person aggrieved thereby, to be rec0v-
cred Nv an action of debt with full costs,
and shall on conviction thereof be deem
ed guilty of a misdemeanor and be fined
not less than $1,000 nor morethan $4,000
and provided further, that q judgment
for the penalty in favor of the party
aggrfeved against any such district at
toTney, or Judgment upon an Indict-
ment against any such district attorney,
shall be d bar to either prosecution res
pectively.
SIC. 4. That no citizen possessing all
other qualifications which are or may be
prescribed by law shall be disqualified
for service as grand or petty juror, IN
any court of the United States Or of any
State, on account of race, color OF pre-
vious condition of servitude, and any
officer or other person charged with any
duty In the selection or summOning OF
Jurors, who shall exclude or fail to sum
mon any citizen for the cause aforesaid,
shall, on conviction thereof, be deemed
guilty of a misdemeaBOr, and be fined
not more than $1,000.
SEC. 3. That all eases arising under
the provisions OF this act In the courts
of the United States shall be Peviewable
BY the Supreme Court of the United
States, without regard to the sum in
controversy, under the same PROVISIONS
and regulations as are % provided by
law for the review of other causes in
said court.
CAPITAL PUNIsHMENT.-Ab0ut 1907 q
200 woman with two children, al
the breast, stole from inside a shop door
a piece of linen worth some seven OF
eight slillfngs. She however, had~nof