THIRTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS. Sess. H. Ch. 52, 53. 1865. 437 Gun. LII.—An Act to even! O cvs 0 the Arm and Na , and other Pmons aged in ttl: vgiggry apncl mwaJJlfiServicefqf the Sante? ji-om interfering in Man e . Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represe1ztatives`q`the United States ey? America in Congress assembled, That it shall not be lawful for I¤¥¤rf¤¤‘¤¤¤¤ in my military or naval officer of the United States, or other person engaged 3; in the civil, military, or naval service of the United States, to order, bring, hibited. keep, or have under his authority or control, any troops or armed men at the place where any general or special election is held in any state of the United States of America, unless it shall be necessary to repel the armed enemies of the United States, or to keep the 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 Hx, or attempt to prescribe or fix, by proc- Qualifications lamation, order, or otherwise, the qualifications of voters in any state of of "°*°” !*°” ‘° the United States of America, or in any manner to interfere with the free- b° Pr°S°nb°d dom of any election in any state, or with the exercise of the free right of snifrage in any state of the United States. Any officer of the army or navy of the United States, or other person engaged in the civil, military, or naval service of the United States, who violates this section of this act, shall, for every such offence, be liable to indictment as for a. misdemeanor, in any court of the United States having jurisdiction to hear, try, and determine cases of misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall _Y6¤{¤l¤Y {Of _ pay a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, and suffer imprisonment in :;l°°°° °f mm the penitentiary not less than three months, nor more than five years, at the discretion of the court trying the same; and any person convicted as aforesaid shall, moreover, be disqualified from holding any office of honor, profit, or trust, under the government of the United States: Provided, Suifragps of That nothing herein contained shall be so construed as to prevent any ;’§§:f;?ed‘;;it'§°° officers, soldiers, sailors, or marines, from exercising the right of suffrage in any election district to which he may belong, if otherwise qualified according to the laws of the state in which he shall oder to vote. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That any officer or person in the _Interfering military or naval service of the United States, who shall order or advise, Hg? °$;gg;; or who shall directly or indirectly, by force, threat, menace, intimidation, P or otherwise, prevent or attempt to prevent any qualified voter of any state of the United States of America from freely exercising the right of sulfrage at any general or special election in any state of the United States, or who shall in like manner compel, or attempt to compel, any oliicer of an election in any such state to receive a vote from a person not legally qualified to vote, or who shall impose or attempt to impose any rules or regulations for conducting such election 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 offence be liable to indictment as for a misdemeanor, in any court of the United States having jurisdiction to hear, tty, and determine cases of misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall pay a fine of not exceeding five thousand dollars, and suifer imprisonment in the penitentiary not exceeding dve years, at the discretion of the court trying the same, and any person convicted as aforesaid shall, moreover, be disqualified from holding any office of honor, profit, or trust, under the government of the United States. Approved, February 25, 1865. Cnr. LHI. -4n Act to increase the Ejiciency of the Medical Corps of the Army. Feb- 25, 1865. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the medical director of Bank and an army in the Held consisting of two or more army corps, and the medical $31;;; director of a military department in which there are United States gen— [Orscral hospitals containing four thousand beds or upwards, shall have the rank, pay, and emoluments of a colonel of cavalry; and the medical di- 37 *
