Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-27
Revised Rights
Bill Approved
BYHouseUn
New Version Called
Less UnpoIotobIe'
To Southern States
BY ROBERT X. WALSH

A Federal civil rights bill
amended to make it less UNI
palatable" to the South was ap
proved today by a House Judi
ciary Subcommittee.
The revised measure, which
the full Judiciary COMMITTEES
plans to consider next Tuesday
retains most major recommen'
dations of the. Eisenhower ad.
ministration's four-point pro-
gram. 1t also is similar in many
respects to a civil rights bill
passed by the House last July.
In the hope of getting i
through the Senate as well Il!
the House this year, the subcom.
mittee made the following i'm.
portant changes:
/. Instead of the original pro.
posal to allow the Attorney Gen.
eral to file private damage suit.
in Federal courts without tn,
consent Of persons whose civil
rights were violated. the revised
bill would specifically requir,
written consent by the party
aggrieved.
2. Witnesses subpoenaed By
the proposed civil rights COM
mission would not necessarily
have to come to Washington
They could be heard by the
commission in the Federal judi
cial district where they live.
3. The word religion" was
stricken from the section author.
izing the proposed commission
to investigate civil rights COM
plants on "unwarranted eco
nomic pressure. race. color, re-
ligion or national origin"
Other Provisions Approved
The subcommittee. however
approved another provision
which would allow the Attorney
General to seek Federal court
injunctions in civil rights com.
plants with or without the con-
sent Of the person claiming that
his voting or other civil rights
were threatened or denied. The
subcommittee also approved the
provision for establishment of q
new civil rights division in the
Justice Department and the APP
pointment Of an additional At.
torney General to head it.
Subcommittee Chairman Gel
Ter. Democrat Of New York, who
likewise heads the full Judiciary
Committee. and Representative
Heating. Republican OF New
York. the ranking minority mem.
Der Of the subcommittee and the
full committee, said they were
with the bill as changed
today. Mr.. Celler said it would
be less unpalatable to the
He and Mr.. Heating predicted
that the bill will be reported out
by the full committee in a short
time. Although they voiced con.
fidence that the House would
pass the bill. they we're reluctant
to forecast any timetable fol
legislative action. There is 6
possibility that the bill NIGH
be held up for a considerable
period in the House Rules Com.
mittee, headed by Representa-.
tive Smith, Democrat of Vir.
ginia.
Meanwhile, Senate supporter,
of civil rights legislation sale
there was a chance that such Z
bill might be brought up frs
in the Senate. despite an almosI
inevitable filibuster by Southern
Senators. Senate Republican
Leader Knowland said yesterday
he believed the Senate woulC
vote on such a bill before tn,
Easter recess.
The Senate judiciary subcom.
mittee which has been holdinl
public hearings will end then
next Tuesday. Any bill it recon
mends might encounter somt
delay before being considered
and reported out by the full Judi
ciary Committee headed by Sen,
ator Eastland, of Mississippi.