Hamilton Fish, Secretary of State of the United States. To all to Whom these Presents may come, Greeting: Know Ye that, the Congress of the United States on or about the Twenty seventh day of February, in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty nine, passed a Resolution in the words and figures following: to wit "A Resolution proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, (twothirds of both houses concurring.) That the following Article be proposed to the legislatures of the several States as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which, when ratified by three-fourths of said legislatures, shall be valid as part of the Constitution, namely: Article XV. Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation." And, further, that it appears from official documents on file in this Department that the Amendment to the Constitu tion of the United States proposed as aforesaid has been ratified by the Legislatures of the States of North Carolina, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Maine, Louisiana, Michigan, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New York, New Hampshire, Nevada, Vermont, Virginia, Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Nebraska and Texas, in all twenty nine States. And, further, that the States whose Legislatures have so ratified the said proposed Amendment, constitute three fourths of the whole number of States in the United States. And, further, that it appears from an official document on file in this Department that the Legislature of the State of New York has since passed Resolutions claiming to withdraw the said ratification of the said Amendment which had been made by the Legislature of that State, and of which official notice had been filed in this Department. And, further, that it appears from an official document on file in this Department that the Legislature of Georgia has by Resolution ratified the said proposed Amendment. Now therefore, be it known that I, Hamilton Fish, Secretary of State of the United States, by virtue and in pursuance of the second section of the Act of Congress approved the twentieth day of April in the year eighteen hundred and eighteen, entitled "An Act to provide for the publication of the Laws of the United States and for other purposes," do hereby certify that the Amendment aforesaid has become valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution of the United States. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Department of State to be affixed. [SEAL.] Done at the city of Washington this thirtieth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy, and of the Independence of the United States the ninety fourth. HAMILTON FISH State of New Jersey. Joint Resolution ratifying the Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, known as the Fifteenth Amendment. 1. Be it resolved, by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey. That the legislature of this State do hereby ratify the amendment to the Constitution of the United States, proposed at the third session of the fortieth congress by resolution of the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in congress assembled, to the several state legislatures; said amendment being the following words to wit: Article XV. Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude. Section 2. The congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. Approved February 21, 1871. STATE OF NEW JERSEY. I, HENRY C. KELSEY, Secretary of State of the State of New Jersey, Do Hereby Certify, that the [SEAL.] foregoing is a true copy of a ["n Act" stricken Joint Resolution Λ out] passed by the Legislature of this State, and approved by the Governor the Twenty-first day of February A. D. 1871 as taken from and compared with the original now on file in my office. In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed my official seal, this Sixteenth day of March Eighteen hundred and seventy-one [INDORSEMENT.] Certified Copy of Joint Resolution HENRY C. KELSEY ratifying the amendment to the Constitution of the United States known as the Fifteenth Amendment. 4 AP-37. |