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The author of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 was Senator Lyman Trumbull (R), who introduced the bill in the Senate. Congressman James F. Wilson (R) summarized what he considered to be the purpose of the act as follows, when he introduced the bill in the House of Representatives:
It provides for the equality of citizens of the United States in the enjoyment of "civil rights and immunities." What do these terms mean? Do they mean that in all things civil, social, political, all citizens, without distinction of race or color, shall be equal? By no means can they be so construed. Do they mean that all citizens shall vote in the several States? No; for suffrage is a political right which has been left under the control of the several States, subject to the action of Congress only when it becomes necessary to enforce the guarantee of a republican form of government (protection against a monarchy). Nor do they mean that all citizens shall sit on the juries, or that their children shall attend the same schools. The definition given to the term "civil rights" in Bouvier's Law Dictionary is very concise, and is supported by the best authority. It is this: "Civil rights are those which have no relation to the establishment, support, or management of government."
Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1866
