Nebraska advertiser., 1882-03-02
The Antl-PoIygamy Bill Passed by the
Senate.

BE u enacted, etc., That section 5.352 of the
Revised Statutes of the United States be, and
the same Is hereby. amended rs to rend as
follows, namely: Every person who has hus-
band or wife living who in n Territory OF 9th
er place over which the United States have ex-
elusive jurisdiction. hereafter marries anoth-
er, whether married or single, and any who
hereafter wtancously, or on the same day,
marries more than one woman, in Territory
or other place over which the United States
have exclusive Jurisdiction, is guilty OF polyga-
my, and shall be punished by 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
hve successive years, and is not known to such
person To be living and Ia believed by such
person To be dead, nor To any person by reason
OF any former marriage which shall have been
dissolved by valid decree of acompetent court,
nor to any person by reason OF any former
marriage which shall have been pronounced
void by valid decree of competent court, on
the ground of nulty of the marriage contract
SEC g That the foregoing provisions shall
not infect the prosecution or punishment of
any offense already committed against the sec
tion amended by the first section of this act.
SEC. B. That If any male person, In Terri
tory or other place over which the United
States have exclusive jurisdiction, hereafter
cohnbits with more than one woman, he shall
be deemed guilty of u msdemeanor, and on
conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine
of not more than 500, or by imprisonment for
not more than six months, or by both said pun
ishments, i'm the discretion of the court.
SEC. 4. That the counts for any or all of the
offenses named in sections pnc and two of this
act may be Joined in the same information or
Indictment.
SEC. .. Thnt i'm any prosecution for bignmy
polygamy or unlawful cohabttation, under any
statute of the United States, 1t shall he suff-
cient cause of challenge to any person drawn
or summoned II juryman or talesman, first
that he is or has been living n the practice of
bigamy, polygamy unlawful cohabitation
with more than one woman, or that he is or
has been guilty of an Offense punishable by
either of the foregoing sections or 10y section
5,3G of tho Revised Statutes of the United
States, or act of July l, 1862, entitled IAN net
To punish and prevent the practice of polyg-
amy III the Territories of the United States
and other plac IS, and disappearing and annu-
ling certain acts of the Legislative Assembly
Of the Territory of Utah." or second, that he
believes It right for n man to have
more than one living and undivorccd
wife at the same time, or live in
the practice of cohabitng 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 ev-
idence may be introduced bearing upon the
question raised by such challenge, and this
question shall be tried by the court. But, rs to
the first ground of challenge before mentioned,
the person challenged shall not be bound to
- n
clines on tho ground that his answer may tend
to criminate himself; and If he shall answer as
to said first ground, his answer shall not be
given In evidence in any criminal prosecution
against him for any offense named in sections
l or 3 of this act; but II he declines 10 answer
on any other ground he shall be rejected as in
competent.
SEC. q. That the President Is hereby author
lied to grant amnesty To- such classes of offend
ers guilty of bigamy, polygamy, or unlawful
cohabitation, before the passage of this act, on
such conditions and under such limitations as
he shall think proper; but no such amnesty
shall have effect unless the conditions thereof
shall be complied with.
SEC Z. That the issue of bigamous or poIyg-
amous marriages., known as Mormon mar
riages, in cases in which such marriages have
been solemnized acc )rding to the ceremonies
of the Mormon sect, in any Territory OF the
United States, and such issue shall have been
born before the lst day of January, A. ID. 1893,
are hereby legitimized.
SEC. 8. That no polygamist, bigamist, or any
person cohabiting with more than one woman,
and no woman cohabitng with any of the per-
sons described as aforesaid in this section, i'm
any Territory or other place over which the
United States have exclusive jurisdiction,
shall be entitled to vote at any election held in
any such Territory or other place, or be cligi.
ble for election or appointment to, or be enti-
tied 10 hold, any Office place of public trust,
honor, or emolumont in, under or for any
such Territory or place, or under the United
States.
SEC. o. That all registration and election Off
cos of every description in the Territory OF
Utah are hereby declared vacant, and each and
every duty relating to the registration of
voters, the conduct of elections, receiving or
rejection of votes, and the canvassing and re-
turning of the same, and issuing of certificates
or other evidence of election I'm said Territory
shall until other provision be made by the
Legislative Assembly of said Territory, as IL
hereinafter by this section provided, be per-
formed under existing laws of the United
States and of said Territory, by tho proper
persons who shall be appointed 10 execute
such offices AMI perform such duties by a Board
of five persons, To be appointed by the Presi-
dent, by and with the advice and consent of
the Senate, not more of whom than three
shall be members of one political party, and n
majority OF whom shall be n quorum, The
members of said Board so appointed by the
President shall each receive a salary at the
rate of S.l0U0 per annum, and shall continue in
office until the Legislative Assembly of said
Territory shall make provision for fillng said
Offices as herein authorized. The Secretary of
the Territory shall be Secretary Of said Board,
and keep journal of its proceed ngs and Mt
t,stations of said Board under this sect on.
The canvass and returns Of all votes ut cleo
| tions i'm said Territory for members oil the Leg
islativc Assembly thereof shall also be re-
| turned to said Board, which snail canvass all
such returns, and issue certificates uf election
| 10 those persons who, being eligible for such
| election, shall appear to have been lawfully