New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-01-18
Law 90 Punish Adultery.

Law 10 AuUl-N
Ihe i9lioFing bhl 70 punish Adultery vsf taken
up ia the Committee o the Whole in the Senate
on Friday
Every male p'.son r frl s.e. vh1 shall COMMIT
a,uirsfy With nsfed woman Of rreylns sood clsrsc-
fsr. shall be deemed guilty Of nis1eezror, ard upo1
cof1tcl thereof ln Courl ~ H-c1c. il- BE ruriite1
b. imprisonment IN the county a iof term Let exceed
u No conviction She. be hal under this act urlsss the
Of the onencs nor unless there Be evidence csrrns the
testimony q tie s1ultereff.
We copy from the Eraing Journal the follow
ing report Of the debate on the above bill
Mr.. FINE believed o. vas ADMITTED that tie public ia al
parts Of The STATE calling loudly upon the Legislature
f-r the passse o. lew u this nature The necessity or
q soneshai nm the &c. tia; urea will not con-
VIC; naDof murder who Kills that commits atGl-
try wilh bis wii- lie would not himself juror con-
lection q BIS Ne. The law admits the usht oi
the husbaad punish the crime Of adultery be does
fable even In cool blood The husband must ts<e the
poEi,Lmens in his own hands because the law makes no
provision for the puuishuen vi this offence.
ne hsd seen proportions 10 the L-ssia.ule 70 puhsn
the female sou,eTcss-s prOpOslflOU IN his
NS" ne proposed 20 Punl.n 'ns msie o1rIJel oLly
and had guarded hs bil - much e. possible de would
not send 10 the state Prison, because the offender
might be Of GOOD character and standing IL society
"a mao Of great political iuhuence-and lie would have
great reluctance from sympathy with the family Of such
man n nothing else IN sending him 70 the STATE Prs
law would thus lose much q is no raj effect Many
would be willing pay thousands Of dollars rather than
suffer mpfsc ument Ia county jail for one day In his
experience Judge. he had known instances Of
this kid he lad always upon he Bench addressed ne
ed0teIer criminal, although Be might appear in the
character II prosecutor, holding him 70 public shame
and contempt and hed advised him TO ny from the nelh
known
b. CoRswrLL moved to strke out the words Of pre-
vious good character In the lst section. Lost
Mr. LiTTLE moved 70 strike out the word married In
the section
Mr. FisE i'd not wish to be under.ood as desiring
hv this
5pcon II seosrste b II to pu1isb sed9co1 Fverv crime
should stand upon its own merits OF demerits
The motion 10 strike cat was lost
SIR CoESwELL moved 20 strike out Oh after offence
Ia The sscon7 section He did not know what evidence
could be brought prove the offence Adultery crime
committed 10 secret, snd where here was no possibility Of
De % screen 10 tho adUlteTsr.
M PISS sa'd that Senators admit this BILL bad
70 IT, IL much better Than We have 20 law 90
punish the offence His des gn % gusfu ag8ins tn
desgus Of wicked and accomplished women TO nJure tie
c'sss the guilty nsht escape anh ne was wiling tha
there shou b. such 40 can punish one case VI
adultery he should regard the law q at gslu.
Dir toENW al supposed that u-def ln.s Si no conVi
ton could be RAD unless the testimony Of the e1uteres
courts would rule that the sduiefess must be sworn ana
When her evidence cannot be procured can
III Fixr did not desire 10 ser the bill a. all tie be-
hesed - 20 be good 10 Il would be cnly 10
case OF an abandoned woman, thai the clause would e
likely 20 appy. To- other instances, where the Som-n
has been Jed a'ray IN moment OF temptation, sna pen
f-nce s1d deep condition follows the offence punishment
would be avoided by failure u her testimony lie dia
not object 20 The clause on that sceount
Mr. Cow was anxious that some bl SHOULD he passed
o. punish The crime Of sduery Bot be perceived that
by his bill the character Of al would be placed 10
the hands Of any woman who chose ~ aeeus them Of tbs
offence
NJ CoKEwELL again earnestly advocated bic motion 20
amend.
Mr rsMElIN SAID the decided hat person
not he convicted up0n the sole testimony u party who
b. poccys cyniaf 10 the offence charged 20 BE- commit
ed The bill required therefore nothing more than
usually required aud what enenty just sud proper
The motion 10 striks out az lost
Mr. FLOYD moved % amend by adding o. tie ID section
IN 10 which she shall he witness 20 the prosee-
tom Agreed 10
Mr CoFFiS said that II he allowed 70 alter the bill
h. uit himself he should propose sevefs amendments
But quite evident 10 hm that the bill II stands
tns best that could be passed snd he willing 20
accept without alteration For long number Of years
the people Of the State hsd endeavored obtain the pas
Of law this subject, and he had observed, when
ever bill cccd-and he had watched the TO
ceedlnfe such times with good deal Of interrst-l
had been loaded with amendments aud 10 character 80
changed that = was rejected BY fs authors iegtimste
aDd Kicked into The 81 ers - parish Sn he ready
10 30 farther in the punishment Of this crime u
the bill prorosed and hereafter bill might be introduced
cary out his views better than this did But he would
regard 1t crest progress Ia this matter II the Leess
ture should decide the offence Of adultery 70 be crime
Mr. TANsLN move 70 strike out the words Of full age
Mr. FfNE had the objection % the punishment Of
youth Of "a for this crime he had 70 Furnishing ie
males
The amendment was rejected
Mr. COFFIN rise and port the bill TO the Sen
ate. Agreed 20.
The bill passed to third reading on Saturday.