Year: 1868

military and naval service of the United
Stat :; from interfering in elections IL lie
States: r-t.iI. ..sraHlsu 5I.lt.


BE it enacted, That it shall not be law
full for any military or naval officer of the
United States, OF other persons engaged In
the civil, military or naval service of the
United States, to order, bring, keep or have
under his authority or control any troops or
armed men at places where any general
or special election is held in any State of
the United States, unless it shall be neces-
sary to repeI armed enemies of the United
States, or to keep peace at the polls and
that it shall not be lawful for any officer of
the army or navy of the United States to
prescribe or fix, or attempt to prescribe or
fix by proclamation, order or otherwise,
the qualification of voters 10 any of the
United States or in any manner to inter-
fere with the freedom of any election in any
State, or with the exercise of the free right
of suffrage in any of the United States.
Any officer Of the army or Of the
navy Of the United States, or
other persons engaged in the
civil, mill ary or naval service of the
United States, who violates this section
SHALL for every such offense, be liable to
indictment for misdemeanor in any court
Of the United States having jurisdiction to
hear, try or determine cases of misdemea-
nor. and on conviction shall pay fine not
exceeding five thousand dollars, and suffer
Imprisonment in the Penitentiary not less
than three months. nor more than FIVE
years, at the discretion Of the court trying
the same. Aud any person convicted as
aforesaid shall moreover be disqualified
from holding any Office of honor, trust or
profit, under the Government of the United
States. Provided that nothing herein con-
tanned shall be so construed as to prevent
any officers, soldiers, sailors or marines
from exercising the right of suffrage in
any election district to which he may be-
long. if otherwise qualified according to
the laws of the State in which he shall
offer to vote


SEC. 2 And be it further enacted, That
any officer or person in the military or ma
val service OF the Uni ed States who shall
order or advise, or who shall directly or
indirectly, by force, threats, menace, in-
tinidation or otherwise. prevent or attempt
to prevent any qualified voter of any State
! in the United States from freely exercising
the right OF suffrage at any general or
special elecction in any States Of the United
States, or who shall in like manner compel
or attempt to compel any officer of an
election in any such State TO receive vote
from a person not legally qualified TO
vote, or who shall impose or atteupt to
impose any rules or regulations for
conducting such elections different
from those prescribed by law,
or interfere in any manner with any officer
of said election in the discharge Of his
duties, shall for any such ofense be liable
to indictment for misdemeanor in any court
of the United States having jurisdiction to
hear, try and determine cases of misde-
meanor and on conviction thereof shall
pay fine not exceeding FIVE thousand dol
lars, and suffer imprisonment in the peni-
tentiary not exceeding five years, at the
discretion of the court trying the same.
Aud any person convicted as aforesaid
SHALL moreover. be disqualified from hold
ing any Office OF honor, profit or trust under
the Government of the United States. Ap
proved February %, 1865.


BY command of General Grant:


E. D. TOWNSEND,
| Assistant Adjutant General.