The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-03-24
ANTI-POLYGAMY.
Text of the Measure Enacted by Con-
gress for the Suppression of Plural
Marriages in the Territories.

Following is the text OF the Anti-Mormon
bill as it passed Congress and received the sig
nature of the President:
bill to amend section 1852 Of the Revised Statutes
of the United States in reference to bigamy, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted, etc., That section $3.50 OF the
Revised Statutes of the United States be and
the same is hereby amended so as to read as
follows-namely Every person who has q wife
living, who, in Territory CT other place over
which the United States have exclusive juris-
diction, hereafter marries another, whether
married or single, and any man who hereafter,
simultaneously or on the same day mar
ries more than one woman in Terri
tory or other place over which the United
States have exclusive 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 five years but this Sec
ton 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 per-
son to be dead nor to any person by reason
of any former marriage which shall have been
dissolved by valid decree of q competent
court nor to any person by reason of any
former marriage which shall have been pro-
nounced void by valid decree of COM
petent court on the grounds ofnullity of the
marriage contract.
Sec 2. That the foregoing provisions shall
not affect the prosecution or punishment of
any offense already committed against the
section amended by the first section of this
act.
SEC. 8. That if any male person in Ter
ritory or other place over which the United
States have exclusive jurisdiction hereafter
cohabits with more than one woman he shall
be deemed guilty of nlisdemeanor, and on
conviction thereof shall be punished by fine
of not more than $500, or by imprisonment for
not more than six months, or by both said
punishments, in the discretion of the court.
SEC. 4. That counts for any and all of the
offenses named in sections l and of this act
may be joined i'll the same information or in
dictment,
Sec. 5. That In any prosecution for bigamy,
polygamy or unlawful cohabtation, under any
statute of the United States, it shall be sufi-
Gent cause of challenge to any person drawn
or summoned as juryman or talesman, first,
that he is or has been living in the practice of
bigamy, poygamy or unlawful cohabitation
with more than one woman or that he is or
has been guilty Of an offense punsha-
bic by either of the foregoing sec
tons or by asection 1852 of the Revised
Statutes of the United States, or the act of July
|, 1868, entitled can act to punish and prevent
the practice of polygamy in the Territories OF
the United States and other places, and disap-
proving and annulling certain acts of the Legis-
lative Assembly IN the Territory of Utah;" or
second, that he believes it right for 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 a
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 evil
ha int haar he
question raised by such challenge; and this
question shall be tried by the court. But as to
the first ground of challenge before mentioned,
the> person challenged shall not be bound to
answer it 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 an
swer as to said first ground his answer shall not
be given in evidence in any criminal prosecu-
ton against him for any offense named in Sec
1 or 8 of this act, but if he declines to answer
on any ground he shall be rejected as incompe-
tent.
Sec 6. That the President is hereby author
lied to grant amnesty to such classes of Offend
ers guilty of bigamy, poygamy or unlawful
cOhabtation 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 That the issue of bigamous or polyg-
amous marriages. known as Mormon marriages,
in cases in which such marriages have been
solemnized according to the ceremonies of the
Mormon sect in any Territory of the United
States, and such issue as shall have been born
before the LIST day January, 1888, are hereby
legitimated.
SEC. 8. That no polygamist, big0mist, or any
person cohabting with more than one woman,
and no woman cohabiting with any of these
persons described as aforesaid in this section
in 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 eligible 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 Territory
Or place, or under the United States.
Sec g. That all the registration and election
offices of every description to the Territory of
Utah are hereby declared vacant, and each and
every duty relative to the registration of vot-
ers, the conduct of elections, the receiving or
rejection of votes, and the canvassing and re-
turning of the same, and the issuing Of certi-
fcates or other evidence of election in said
Territory, shall, until other provisions 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 board of five
persons, to be appointed by the President, by
and with the advice and consent of the Senate,
not more of whom than three shall be members
of one political party, and majority of
whom shall be quorum: The members
of said board SO appointed by the President
shall each receive salary at the rate of $4,000
per annum, and snail continue in office until
the Legislative Assembly of said Territory
shall make provision for filling said offices as
herein authorized. The Secretary of the Ter
ritory shall be the Secretary of said board, and
keep journal of its proceedings and attest the
action of said board under this section. The
canvass and return of all the votes at elections
i'll said Territory formembers of the Legislative
Assembly thereof shall also be returned to said
board, which shall canvass all such returns and
issue certificates of election to, those persons
who, being eligible for such election, shall ap-
pear to have been lawfully elected, which GER
/ tificates shall be the only evidence
| of the right Of such persons to sit in such AS
sembly, provided that said board of five per-
sons shall not exclude any person otherwise
! eligible to vote, from the polls on account of
| aAy opinion such person may entertain on the
subject of bigamy and polYgamy; nor shall
/ they refuse to count any such vote on account
| of the opinion of the person casting it on the
subject of bigamy or polygamy. But
ter its organization, shall have the
power to decide upon the elections and
| qualifications of its members, and at or after
the first meeting of said Legislative Assembly,
whose members shall have been elected and re-
! turned according to the provisions OF this act,
| said Legislative Assembly may make such laws,
conformable to the organic act of said Terri
tory. and not inconsistent with other laws of
the United States as it shall deem proper con-
corning the filling of any offices in said Terri
/ tory declared vacant by this act.
i
JIM WEBSTER and Gabe Snodgrass
met on Galveston avenue. Jim was
dressed In the height of the style, and
upon cross examination explained that
he had just been attending his brothers
wedding. "Who did he marry p asked
Gabe. GA CONAN" responded Jim.
ssWell, I reckon I knowed dat ar, as a
matter of course" "Dar amt no mat
ter of course about it IL our family, re-
piled jim, for when my sister Matildy
got married I hope may be shot if she
didn't marry a man. Hits fact, and
I'll swear to it. - Galveston Meas.
GAIL HAMILTON has only two hates,
She hates man with white face and a
woman who has dyspepsia. Outside OF
these she gets along quite peaceably
/ --skI. kIn v-.oxI1