Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 16.djvu/467

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FORTY—-FIRST CONGRESS. Sess. IH. Ch. 99. 1871. 483 CHAP. XCIX.-An Act to amend an Act a proved May thirty-om,hleen hundred Feb. 28, 1871. and seventy, entitled "An Act to enjbrce the £ightspy'O‘1¢£=eM of the States to _—`j-" vote in the several States of lfus Union, and for other u1poscs.” Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section twenty of the Amendment •· Act to enforce the rights of citizens of the United States to vote in °f;*:;0 h 11 4 the several States of this Union, and for other purposes," approved May tm ’ °' thirty-one, eighteen hundred and seventy, shall be, and hereby is, Aww. p- 145- amended B0 as to read as follows:·— “Sec. 20. And be it further enacted, That ifi [at] any registration of Penaliiy foivoters for an election for representative or delegate in the Congress of the ¤¤g*“’*`“ ***2** in United States, any person shall knowingly personate and register, or $1, Qgigsiiggg attempt to register, in the name of any other person, whether living, of voters; dead, or fictitious, or fraudulently register, or fraudulently attempt to register, not having a lawful right so to do; or do any unlawful act to secure registration for himself or any other person; or by force, threat, menace, intimidation, bribery, reward, or offer, or promise thereof; or other unlawful means, prevent or hinder any person having a lawful right to register from duly exercising such right; or compel or induce, by any of such means, or other unlawful means, any oiizicer of registration to admit to registration any person not legally entitled thereto, or interfere in any manner with any officer of registration in the discharge of his duties, or by any such means, or other unlawful means, induce any officer of registration to violate or refuse to comply with his duty or any law regulating the same; or if any such officer shall knowingly and wilfully register as a voter any person not entitled to be registered, or refuse to so register any person entitled to be registered; or if any for knowingly such officer or other person whose duty it is to perform any duty in rela- ?§§if°g'K Qing tion to such registration or election, or to ascertain, announce, or declare my £,tyI:°&c,; the result thereof, or give or make any certificate, document, or evidence iu relation thereto, shall knowingly neglect or refuse to perform any duty required bylaw, or violate any duty imposed by law, or do any act unauthorized by law relating to or affecting such registration or election, or the result thereof, or any certihcate, document, or evidence in relation thereto, or if any person shall aid, counsel, procure, or advise any for advising such voter, person, or officer to do any act hereby made a crime, or gg? 22:1:*:;;; to omit any act the omission of which is hereby made a crime, every ,,,,3;,, ,,c,,mJ such person shall be deemed guilty of a crime, and shall be liable to &»· prosecution and punishment therefor as provided in section nineteen of said act of May thirty-one, eighteen hundred and seventy, fo1‘ persons A”*°»P·1“· guilty of any of the crimes therein specified: Provided, That every reg- What to be istration made under the laws of any State or Territory for any State or gzQ;;duQ15;§‘S‘ other election at which such representative or delegate m Congress thisgqg shall be chosen, shall be deemed to be a registration within the meaning of this act, notwithstanding the same shall also be made for the purposes of any State, territorial, or municipal election." _ Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That whenever in any city or town In citiesothaving upward of twenty thousand inhabitants, there shall he two citizens :%*;*6%*;; 1*:;; ¢l10I‘80f who, prior to any registration of voters for election for man, ,,*,0,, we representative or delegate in the Congress of the United States, or tenapp prior to any election at which a representative or delegate m Congress Qh°'£c‘:;i;€ujé6 is to be voted for, shall make known, in writing, to the judge of the circuit to appease two court of the United States for the circuit wherein such city or town shall 3¤$m;°*¤ °*° be, their desire to have said registration, or said election, or both, guarded ’ and scrutinized, it shall be the duty of the said judge of the c1rcu1t court, within not less than ten days prior to said registration, if one there be, or, if no registration be required, within not less than ten days prior to said election, to open the said circuit court at the most convenient point 1D said circuit. And the said court, when so opened by said Judge, shall proceed v01.. xvr. PUB.-28