United States Fourteenth Amendment & The Civil Rights Act of 1866

An amendment to the Constitution of the United States that granted citizenship and equal rights, both civil and legal, to Black Americans, including those who had been emancipated by the thirteenth amendment.

Senate Committee of the Whole

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Document introduced in:

Session 13030: 1866-01-10 00:00:00

S. 1 is considered in Committee of the Whole

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S. 1

There are 0 proposed amendments related to this document on which decisions have not been taken.

A BILL

To regulate the elective franchise in the District of Columbia.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, from and after the passage of this act, each and every male person, excepting paupers and persons under guardianship, of the age of twenty-one years and upwards, who has not been convicted of any infamous crime or offence, and who is a citizen of the United States, and who shall have resided in the said District for the period of six months previous to any election therein, shall be entitled to the elective franchise and shall be deemed an elector and entitled to vote at any election in said District without any distinction on account of color or race.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That any person whose duty it shall be to receive votes at any election within the District of Columbia, who shall wilfully refuse to receive or who shall wilfully reject the vote of any person entitled to such right under this act, shall be liable to an action of tort by the person injured, and shall be liable, on indictment and conviction, if such act was done knowingly, to a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year in the jail of said District, or to both.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That if any person or persons shall wilfully interrupt or disturb any such elector in the exercise of such franchise, he or they shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall be fined in any sum not to exceed one thousand dollars, or be imprisoned in the jail in said District, for a period not to exceed thirty days, or both, at the discretion of the court.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the several courts having criminal jurisdiction in said District to give this act in special charge to the grand jury at the commencement of each term of the court.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That all acts and parts of acts inconsistent with this act be, and the same are hereby, repealed.

Decisions yet to be taken

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