A Bill to prohibit the giving or accepting, within the District of
Columbia, of a Challenge to fight a Duel, and for the punishment
thereof.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America, in Congress assembled, That if any person shall, in
the district of Columbia, challenge another to fight a duel, or shall
send or deliver any written or verbal message purporting or intending to
be such challenge, or shall accept any such challenge or message, or
shall knowingly carry or deliver any such challenge or message, or shall
knowingly carry or deliver an acceptance of such challenge or message to
fight a duel in or out of said district, and such duel shall be fought
in or out of said district; and if either of the parties thereto shall
be slain or mortally wounded in such duel, the surviving party to such
duel, and every person carrying or delivering such challenge or message,
or acceptance of such challenge or message as aforesaid, and all others
aiding and abetting therein, shall be deemed guilty of felony, and upon
conviction thereof; in any court competent to the trial thereof, in the
said district, shall be punished by imprisonment and confinement to hard
labour in the penitentiary for a term not exceeding ten years, nor less
than five years, in the discretion of the court.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, that if any person shall give or
send, or cause to be given or sent, to any person in the district of
Columbia, any challenge to fight a duel, or to engage in single combat
with any deadly or dangerous instrument or weapon whatever, or shall be
the bearer of any such challenge, every person so giving or sending, or
causing to be given or sent, or accepting such challenge, or being the
bearer thereof, and every person aiding or abetting in the giving,
sending, or accepting such challenge, shall be deemed guilty of a high
crime and misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof in any court competent
to try the same, in the said district, shall be punished by imprisonment
and confinement to hard labour in the penitentiary, for a term not
exceeding ten years, nor less than five years, in the discretion of the
court.
Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, that if any person shall assault,
strike, beat, or wound, or cause to be assaulted, stricken, beaten, or
wounded, any person in the district of Columbia for declining or
refusing to accept any challenge to fight a duel, or to engage in single
combat with any deadly or dangerous instrument or weapon whatever, or
shall, post or publish, or cause to be posted or published, any writing
charging any such person so declining or refusing to accept any such
challenge to be a coward, or using any other opprobrious or injurious
language therein, tending to deride and disgrace such person, for so
offending, on conviction thereof in any court competent to trial thereof
in said district, shall be punished by confinement to hard labour in the
penitentiary for a term not exceeding seven years, nor less than three
years, in the discretion of the court.
Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, that in addition to the oath now to
be prescribed by law to be administered to the grand jury in the
district of Columbia, they shall be sworn faithfully and impartially to
inquire into, and true presentment make of, all offences against this
act.