Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-02-21
THE ANTI-POLYGAMY BILL.

The following is the full text of
the anti>polygamy bill as it finally
passed the Senate
Revised Statutes of the United States, be,
and the same is hereby amended, SO as to
read as follows, namely: Every person who
has a husband or wife living, who, in Ter
ritory or in any other place over which the
United States has exclusive jurisdiction,
shall hereafter marry another, whether mar
ried or single, and any man who hereafter
simultaneously, or in the same day, marries
more than one woman, in Territory or
other place over which the United States
have exclusive jurisdiction, is guilty of po-
lygamy, and shall be punished by a fine of
not more than $500 and by imprisonment
for term of not more than five years; but
this section shall not extend to any person
by reason of any former marriage, whose
husband or wife by such marriage shall have
been absent for five successive years and is
not known to such person to be living, and
is believed by such person to be dead, nor
to any person by reason of any former mar
riage which shall have been dissolved by
valid decree of a competent court, nor to
any person by reason of any former mar
riage which shall have been pronounced to
be void or invalid by competent court on
the ground of nullity of marriage contract.
Sec. 2. That the foregoing provision
shall not affect the prosecution or punish
ment of any offense already committed
against the section amended by first Sec
ton of this act.
Sec. 3. That if any male person in a
Territory or other place over which tho
United States have exclusive jurisdiction
hereafter cohabits with more than one
woman, he shall be deemed guilty of mis-
demeanor, and on conviction thereof, shall
be punished bya fine of not more than $500,
or by imprisonment for not more than six
months, or by both of said punishments,
in the discretion of the court.
Sec. 4. That the counts for any or all
offenses named in sections l and of this
act, may be joined in the same information
| or indictment.
Sec. 5. That in any prosecution for
bigamy, polygamy or unlawful cohabitation
under any statute of the United States, it
| shall be sufficient cause of challenge to any
| person drawn or summoned as a juryman or
/ talesman; first, that he is or has been living
| in the practice of bigamy or polygamy
| or unlawful cohabitation with more than
one woman, or that he ia or has
been guilty of an ofenss
punishable by either of the foregoing sec
| tons or section 1852 of the Revised Stat
utes of the United States, or act of July l,
1862, entitled IAN act to punish and pre-
| vent the practice of polygamy in the Terri
tories of the United States and other places,
and disappearing and annulling certain acts
of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory
of Utah." or second, that he believes it
| right for man to have more than one liy-
ing and undivorced wife at the same time,
or live in the practice of cohabitation with
more than one woman; and any person APP
pearing or offered as juryman 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 chaI-
lenge, and other evidence may be intro
duced bearing upon the question raised by
such challenge, and this question shall be
tried by the court. But as to the first
ground of challenge aforementioned, the
person challenged shall not be bound to
answer, if he shall say upon his oath that
he declines on the ground that his answer
may tend TO criminate himself, and if he
shall answer to said first ground, his an.
swer shall not be given in evidence in any
criminal prosecution against him for any
offense named in sections or of this act
but If he declines to answer on any ground,
he shall be rejected.
, Sec. 6. That the President is hereby au-
thorlzed to grant amnesty to such classes of
offenders guilty of bigamy or polygamy OF
4 unlawful cohabitation before the passage of
this act, on such conditions and under such
limitations as he shall think proper; but nc
such amnesty shall have effect unless the
conditions thereof shall be complied with
Sec. 7. That the issue of bigamous o,
polygamous marriages, known as Mormon
marriages, in cases in which such marriages
; have been solemnized according to the GER
3 emonies of the Mormon sect, in any terri
. tory of the United States, and such issue
shall have been born before the first
, day of January, A. D. 1883, are hereby le-
gitimated.
Sec. 8. That no polygamist, bigamist, o,
any person cohabitating with more than one
woman, and no woman cohabitating with
any of the persons described as aforesaid il
/ this section, in any Territory or other plac,
over which the United States have exclusiv,
jurisdiction, shall be entitled to vote at any
, election held in any such Territory or othe
place, or be eligible for election or appoint
ment to or be entitled to hold any Office O.
, place of public trust, honor or emolumen
in, under or for any such Territory or place
under the United States.
, Sec. 6. That all registration and election
, offices of every description in the Territor,
of Utah are hereby declared vacant, and
r each and every duty relating to registration
, of voters, the conduct of elections, receiv
ing or rejection of votes, and canyassina
| and returning of same, and issuing of Ger
: tifcates or evidences of election in said Ter
ritory shall, until other provision be mad
, by the Legislative Assembly of said Terri
tory, as is hereinafter by this section pro
yided, be performed under the existing law
, of the United States and of said Territor,
| by the proper persons, who shall be APP
pointed to execute such Offices and perform
) such duties by board of FIVE persons, t,
be appointed by the President, by and wit
the ADVICE and consent Of the Senate, no
more than three Of whom shall be member
9 OF one political party, and majority 0
o whom shall be quorum. The mem
bers OF said board, SO appointed by tn.
President, shall each receive salary at tn,
a rate of S., 900 per annum, and shall con
tinue in Office until the Legislative Assemble
= Of said Territory shall make provision fol
I, filling said offices, as herein authorized. Thu
, Secretary. of the Territory shall be SEQ
t rotary of said board and keep a journal o
4 its proceedings and attest the action of sal,
board. Under this section the canvass an
0 return of all votes at elections in said Terri
. tory for members of the Legislative Assem-
bly, thereof shall also be returned to sait
9 board, which shall canvass all such returns
Y and issue certificates of election to thos
persons who, being eligible for such cleo
tons, shall appear to have been lawful.
= elected, which certificates shall be the onl,
: evidence of the right of such persons to 81