The Evening critic., 1882-02-17
THE BILL
That Worries the Boys-Scnator Ed
rnunds' Antf-PoIygamy Bill PASSES


thc Senate.
The following is the full toxt OF Senator Ed.
munds anti-polygamy bill MS It passed tho
Senate yesterday. As 1t effects this District as
well as Utah, considerable interest Is felt In |
knowing Its exact provisions.
bill to amend Section $3.50 OF the Revised |
Statutes OF the United States, In reference to |
bigamy, and for other purposes.
BE 10 enacted By the Senate and House Of Rep
Nsontdtires Of Mo United States Of Americd IN
Congress assembled, That Section $3.50 OF the
Revised Statutes OF tho United States be, and
tho same is hereby amended, so as to read as
follows, namely.
''Every person who has husband or wife
living, who, in Territory or other place over
which the United States have exclusive jurls-
diction, hereafter marrles another, whether
married or single, and any man who hereafter
simultaneously, or on the samo day, marries
more than one woman In q Territory, or other
place over which the United states have exclu-
sive Jurisdiction, Is guilty Of polygamy, and
shall be punished by fine OF not more than
$500 and by Imprisonment for a term of not
more than flve years; butthis section shall not
extend to any person by reason of any former
marriage whose husband, or wife, by such
marriage shall have beon absent for five sue.
cessive years, and is not known to such person
as living, and is believed by such person to be
dead, nor TO any person by reason of any for.
mer marriage which shall have boon dissolved
by valid decree Of q competent court, nor to
any person by reason OF any former marriage
which shall have been pronounced void by
ground of nullity Of the marriage contract.
Section 2. That tho foregoing provisions
shall not AFFECT the prosecution or punishment
OF any oirense already committed against this
section amended by the first section of the act
"scc. g. That II any male person, in a Terri
tory or place over which the United States
have exclusive Jurisdiction, hereafter cohabits
with more than one woman, he shall be deemed
guilty Of misdemeanor, and on conviction
thereof shall be punished by O fine of not more
than three hundred dollars, or by imprlson
ment for not more than six months, or by
both said punishments, in the discretion of
"Sec. A. That the counts for any or all of
the offenses named in sections 1 and of this
act may be Joined In the same Information or
Indictment.
Sec. 5. That in any prosecution for bgamy,
polygamy or unlawful cohabitation under any
statute OF the United States, 1t shall pc suffi-
| cient cause TO challenge to any person drawn
| or summoned as a juryman or talesman; first,
bigamy, polygamy or unlawful cohabitation
| with more than one woman, or that he Is or
| has been guilty of an ofrenso punishable by
either Of the foregoing sections, or by section
| $3.50 OF the Revised Statutes OF the United
States, or the act of July 1, 1862, entitled "An
to pSnsh m and the practice Of
States and other places, and disproving and
annulling certain :.acts of the Legislative AS
| that he believe 1t right for q man to
have more than one living and undivorced
wife at the same time, or to live In the practice
| of cohabiting with more than one woman; and
| any person appearing or offered as Juror or
talesman, and challenged on either of the
foregoing grounds, may be questioned on his
| oath as to the existence OF any such cause of
| challenge, and other evidence may be intro
duced bearing upon the question raised by
tried by the court. But as to the first ground
II the challenge before mentioned, the person
challenged shall not be bound TO answer II he
| shall say upon his oath that he declines on the
| ground that the answer may tend to criminate
| himself; and II he shall answer as to said first
| ground his answer shall not be given in eyi-
| denca in criminal prosecution aQafnat him
| for any offense named in sections one or two
| of this act; but II he declines to answer on any
| ground he shall be rejected as incompetent
| ''Sec. 6. That the President is hereby au-
thorized to grant amnesty to any such classes
of offenders guilty, of dsana bigamy, poygamy, or
this act on such conditions and under such
limitations as he shall think proper but no
such amnesty shall have effect unless the con-
ditions thereof shall be complied with.
.Sec. z. That the issue of bigamous or
polygamous marriages, known as Mormon
have been solemnized according to the cere-
monies Of the Mormon sect, in any Territory
OF the Unit United & states and such n issue shall have
eighteen hundred and eighty-three, are hereby
legitimated.
Sec. 8. That no polygamist bigamist or any
person cohabiting with more than one woman,
and no man cohahiting with any of the per-
sons described as aforesaid in this section, Yin
any Territory or other place over which the
| United States have exclusive jurisdiction, shall
be entitled to vote at any election held in any
| Sucn Terr1tOry or Otncr place, or DO ellgiOle
for election or appointment to or be entitled to
hold any office or place of public trust, honor,
or emolument in, under or for any such Terri
tory or place or under the United States.
| Sec. o. That all registration and election
| officers Of every description in the Territory OF
Utah are hereby declared vacant, and each and
tho conduct of elections, the receiving or re-
lection of votes, and the canvassing and re.
turning Of the same, and the issuing Of certin
Gates or other evidence of election In said Ter
ritory, shall, until other provision be made by
the Legislative Assembly OF said Territory as Is
hereinafter by this section provided, be per
formed under the existing laws OF the United
States and OF said Territory by proper persons
who shall be appointed to execute such offices
and perform such duties by a board OF five
persons, to be appointed by the President, by
and with the consent of the Senate, not more
than three Of whom shall be members OF one
political party, and majority OF whom shall
be quorum. The members of said board sc
appointed by the President shall each receiv.
n salary at the rate of $4,000 per annum, and
shall continue In office until the Legislative
, Assembly of said Territory shall mako provi
| sion for filling said offices as herein author
secretary Of said board and keep Journal o.
its proceedings, and attest the action of sait
| board under this section. Tho canvass and
return of all the votes at elections IL
said Territory for members of the Legis
lative Assembly thereof shall also b,
| returned to said board, which shall canvass
all such returns and issue certificates OF elec
| tion to those persons who, being eligible fol
fully elected which Certificates shall be the
only evidence Of the right of such persons t
sit In such assembly, provided that said boart
{ | OF five persons shall not exclude any person
otherwise eligible 70 vote, from tho polls OF
| account OF any opinion such person may enter
. tain on the subject of bigamy and polygamy
| nor shall they refuse to count any such vot
(; on account OF the opinion OF the person casting
j | It on the subject OF bigamy or polygamy.
I But each house Of such assembly, after 1t
organization, shall have power to decide upoi
| the elections and qualifications Of its members
q and at or after the first meeting OF said legis
4 lative assembly, whose members shall hav
: been elected and returned according TO tn
!, provisions OF this act, said Legislative Assem-
y | bly, may make such laws, conformabie TO tn
= organic act OF said Territory and not incon
y sistent with other laws of the United States
u as 1t shall deem proper concerning the fillln
OF the Offices in said Territory declared yacan
!, | by this act.
n Another Soul Made Happy.
1 Samuel Stafford ESQ., business manager