FORCE BILL, a popular name in the Uni ted States for four different congressional bills, used at the time of their passage; all aimed at the South, and intended to suppress by na tional force direct or indirect nullification (q.v.) of national laws. (1) The bill of 2 March 1833 to enforce the tariff law; drawn out by Cal houn's nullification ordinance passed by the South Carolina legislature (see COMPROMISE OF 1833) ; also called the "Bloody It was not put in action, because South Carolina first suspended and then repealed the Nullification dinance. (2) The bill of 31 May 1870 to put wn the forcible resistance which the Southern ders were preparing to offer to the recon uction governments. It punished by fine and prisonment, or both, and gave the Federal arts exclusive cognizance of any interference h the registration, voting, etc., of any one, going on his premises to intimidate him, or •sonating him in voting or violating State or decal election laws, or violating the Civil ghts Bill of 1866. (3) The bill of 20 April '1 to suppress the Kuklux Klan (q.v.). It 'e the Federal courts cognizance of suits ainst any one depriving another of any con tutional rights; punished as conspiracy any rnbination to delay the execution of any Fed il or deter any one from voting, ; office, or acting as Federal juror or witness; ais clause was held unconstitutional by the tpreme Court); authorized the President to iploy the national forces to suppress disorders tended to deprive any class of their constitur >nal rights, in case the State authorities were cable or unwilling; suspended the habeas cor m °during the continuance of such rebellion° - this provision to remain in force only till the id of the next regular session; authorized the edges to exclude from the juries persons they ispected to be in complicity with the proscribed •ts ; authorized civil action for damages against 11 persons who neglected to give warning of uch a conspiracy or intended injuries, if they ad good reason to suspect them; and confirmed ormer civil-rights legislation. An attempt was
aade to extend the fourth suspension of the iabeas corpus to May 1872, and the Senate did o, but the House refused. (See REcorisrituc actii). (4) The Lodge Election Bill, 2 July .890, °to amend and supplement the election aws of the United States, and to provide for a nore efficient enforcement of such laws .° It passed the House, but was tabled in the Senate by a free-coinage fusion of Democrats and Re publicans who wished to pass to currency legis lation.