sixty-eight, and for other purposes," approved March two, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven, as prohibits the organization, arming, or calling into service of the militia forces in the States of Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia, be, and the same is hereby, repealed.

APPROVED, July 15, 1870.

No. 90.

San Domingo Commissioners

January 12, 1871

THE question of the annexation of the island of Dominica, or San Domingo, began to be widely discussed in 1869. A commissioner, Orville E. Babcock, was sent to the island by President Grant, and November 29 a treaty of annexation was concluded. The treaty was ratified by San Domingo, but the opposition in the United States was strong. In a special message of May 31, 1870, Grant, who had throughout strongly favored annexation, urged ratification, but June 30 the treaty was rejected by the Senate. In his annual message of December 5 Grant discussed the matter at length, and suggested that Congress authorize the appointment of a commission to negotiate for the acquisition of the island. December 9 Sumner submitted in the Senate a resolution calling for papers and correspondence, and also for a considerable variety of information about San Domingo. On the 12th a resolution substantially identical with the one finally agreed upon was introduced by Oliver P. Morton of Indiana, and on the 21st, after an all-night session, passed by a vote of 32 to 9, 30 not voting. The House, by a vote of 108 to 76, 50 not voting, added the proviso of section 3, and on January 10 agreed to the resolution as amended, the vote being 123 to 63, 47 not voting. The next day the Senate, by a vote of 57 to o, concurred. Sumner's resolution was agreed to January 4. The report of the commissioners was transmitted to Congress April 5; but Grant, though still maintaining his opinion in favor of annexation, recognized the divided state of public opinion, and recommended that Congress take no immediate action beyond printing the report. REFERENCES. - Text in U.S. Statutes at Large, XVI, 591. ceedings see the House and Senate Journals, 41st Cong., 3d Sess., and the Cong. Globe. The report of the commissioners is Senate Exec. Doc. 9, 42d Cong., Ist Sess.; see also Senate Misc. Doc. 35, ibid.; Senate Exec. Doc. 53, 42d Cong., 2d Sess.; Senate Exec. Doc. 17 and House Exec. Docs. 42 and 43, 41st Cong., 3d Sess.; Pierce, Sumner, IV, chaps. 55 and 56.

For the pro

A Resolution authorizing the Appointment of Commissioners in Relation to the Republic of Dominica.

Resolved. That the President of the United States be authorized to appoint three commissioners, and also a secretary, the latter to be versed in the English and Spanish languages, to proceed to the island of San Domingo, and to such other places, if any, as such commissioners may deem necessary, and there to inquire into, ascertain, and report the political state and condition of the republic of Dominica, the probable number of inhabitants, and the desire and disposition of the people of the said republic to become annexed to and to form part of the people of the United States; the physical, mental, and moral condition of the said people, and their general condition as to material wealth and industrial capacity; the resources of the country; its mineral and agricultural products; the products of its waters and forests; the general character of the soil; the extent and proportion thereof capable of cultivation; the climate and health of the country; its bays, harbors, and rivers; its general meteorological character, and the existence and frequency of remarkable meteorological phenomena; the debt of the government and its obligations, whether funded, and ascertained, and admitted, or unadjusted and under discussion; treaties or engagements with other powers; extent of boundaries and territory; what proportion is covered by foreign claimants or by grants or concessions, and generally what concessions or franchises have been granted, with the names of the respective grantees; the terms and conditions on which the Dominican government may desire to be annexed to and become part of the United States as one of the Territories thereof; such other information with respect to the said government or its territories as to the said commissioners shall seem desirable or important with reference to the future incorporation of the said Dominican republic into the United States as one of its Territories.

SEC. 2. And be it further resolved, That the said commissioners shall, as soon as conveniently may be, report to the

President of the United States, who shall lay the report before Congress.

SEC. 3. And be it further resolved, That the said commissioners shall serve without compensation, except the payment of expenses . . .: Provided, That nothing in these resolutions contained shall be held, understood, or construed as committing Congress to the policy of annexing the territory of said republic of Dominica.

APPROVED, January 12, 1871.

No. 91.

Supplementary Act to enforce the
Fifteenth Amendment

February 28, 1871

A BILL to amend the act of May 31, 1870, commonly known as the "Force Bill," was introduced in the House, January 9, 1871, by John C. Churchill of New York, and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. February 15 a substitute offered by Bingham of Ohio was agreed to with amendments, and the bill passed, the final vote being 144 to 64, 32 not voting. The Senate passed the bill on the 24th without amendment by a vote of 39 to 10, 25 not voting. The act was further supplemented by a provision of the civil appropriation act of June 10, 1872 [No. 95].

REFERENCES. Text in U.S. Statutes at Large, XVI, 433-440. For the proceedings see the House and Senate Journals, 41st Cong., 3d Sess., and the Cong. Globe.

An Act to amend an Act approved May thirty-one, eighteen hundred and seventy, entitled "An Act to enforce the Rights of Citizens of the United States to vote in the several States of this Union, and for other Purposes."

Be it enacted That section twenty of the [act of May 31, 1870] . . . shall be, and hereby is, amended so as to read as follows:

"SEC. 20. And be it further enacted, That if, [at] any registration of voters for an election for representative or delegate in the Congress of the United States, any person shall know

ingly personate and register, or attempt to register, in the name of any other person, whether living, 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 officer 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 such officer or other person whose duty it is to perform any duty in relation to such registration or election, or to ascertain, announce, or declare the result thereof, or give or make any certificate, document, or evidence in relation thereto, shall knowingly neglect or refuse to perform any duty required by law, 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 certificate, document, or evidence in relation thereto, or if any person shall aid, counsel, procure, or advise any such voter, person, or officer to do any act hereby made a crime, or to omit any act the omission of which is hereby made a crime, every 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, for persons guilty of any of the crimes therein specified: Provided, That every registration made under the laws of any State or Territory for any State or other election at which such representative or delegate in Congress 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 having upward of twenty thousand inhabitants, there shall be two citizens thereof who, prior to any registration of voters for an election for representative or delegate in the Congress of the United States, or prior to any election at which a representative or delegate in Congress is to be voted for, shall make known, in writing, to the judge of the circuit court of the United States for the circuit wherein such city or town shall 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 circuit 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 in said circuit. And the said court, when so opened by said judge, shall proceed to appoint and commission, from day to day and from time to time, and under the hand of the said circuit judge, and under the seal of said court, for each election district or voting precinct in each and every such city or town as shall, in the manner herein prescribed, have applied therefor, and to revoke, change, or renew said appointment from time to time, two citizens, residents of said city or town, who shall be of different political parties, and able to read and write the English language, and who shall be known and designated as supervisors of election. And the said circuit court, when opened by the said circuit judge as required herein, shall therefrom and thereafter, and up to and including the day following the day of election, be always open for the transaction of business under this act, and the powers and jurisdiction hereby granted and conferred shall be exercised as well in vacation as in term time; and a judge sitting at chambers shall have the same powers and jurisdiction, including the power of keeping order and of punishing any contempt of his authority, as when sitting in court.