It had been put in force on the
application of Democrats quite as often as on that of Republicans.
We added to our Bill a provision that in case of a dispute
concerning an election certificate, the Circuit Court of the
United States in which the district was situated should hear
the case and should award a certificate entitling the member
to be placed on the Clerk's roll, and to hold his seat until
the House itself should act on the case. That provision was
copied from the English law of 1868 which has given absolute
public satisfaction there. This was the famous Force Bill,
and the whole of it--a provision that, if a sufficient petition
were made to the court for that purpose, officers, appointed
by the court, belonging to both parties should be present
and watch the election; that the Judge of the Circuit Court
should determine, in case of dispute, what name should be
put on the roll of the House of Representatives, in the beginning,
subject to the Constitutional power of the House to correct
it, and that a moderate punishment for bribery, intimidation
and fraud, on indictment and conviction by a jury of the vicinage,
should be imposed.
Pages:
1003
1004
1005
1006
1007
1008
1009
1010
1011
1012
1013
1014
1015
1016
1017
1018
1019
1020
1021
1022
1023
1024
1025
1026
1027