The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-02-17
THE EDMUNDS BILL,


bill introduced into the SEN
ate on December 18th, referred to
the judiciary committee, amended
and reported back to the Senate on
January oath, with a recommends
ton that it pass;
A bill to amend section 1852 Of the
Revised Statutes Of the United
States, in reference to bigamy,
and for other purposes.
SECTION BE 1t enacted by the
Senate and House Of Representa-
ti0eS of the United States of Amer
lea in Congress assembled. That sec
ton $500 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 a husband
or wife living who, in a territory or
other place over which the United
States have exclusive jurisdiction,
hereafter marrieS another, whether
married or single, and any man who
hereafter simultaneously, or on the
sane day, narries more than one
woman, in a territory or other place
over which the United States have
exclusive jurisdiction, is guilty of
polygamy, and shall be punished by
a 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 person TO be
dead, nor to any person by reason
of any former marriage which shall
have been dissolved by valid de-
cree of a competent court, nor to
any person by reason Of any former
marriage which shall have been pro-
nounced void by valid decree Of a
competent court, on the ground of
nullity of the marriage contract"
SEC. 2.-That the foregoing pro-
visions shall not affect the prosecu-
ton, or punishment, of any offense
already committed against the sec
ton amended by the first section of
this act.
SEC. 3-That if any male person,
in a territory or other place over
which the United States have ex-
elusive jurisdiction, hereafter CO
habits with more than one woman,
he shall be deemed guilty of a mis-
demeanor, 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 punishments, in the dis
cretiOn of the court.
SEC. THAT counts for any or al
of the offenses named in sections
one and two of this act may be
joined in the same information OF
Indictment.
Sec. 5-That in any prosecution
for bigamy, polygamy, or unlawful
cohabitation, under any statute OF
the United States, it shall be suffi.
cient cause of challenge to any per-
son drawn or summoned as a jury
man or talesman, first, that he is o.
has been living in the practice Of
bigamy, polygamy, or unlawful co
habitation with more than ONT
woman, or that he is or has beer
guilty of an Offense punishable 10y
either Of the foregoing sections, o.
by section 1852 of the Revised
Statutes of the United States, or the
act of July 1st, 1852, entitled CAR
act to punish and prevent the prac
tice of polygamy in the territorie:
of the United States and Other
places, and disappearing and annul
ling certain acts of the Legislative
Assembly Of the Territory of Utah,
or, second, that he believes 1t RICH
for man to have more than one liv
ing and undivorced wife at the same
time, OF to live in the practice Of
cohabiting with more than on
woman; and any person appearing
or offered as a juror or talesman
and challenged on either OF tn
foregoing grounds, may be ques
toned on his oath as to the exist
ence of any such cause of challenge
and other evidence may be intro
duced bearing upon the question
raised by such challenge: and tnl
question shall be tried by the court
| But as to the first ground OF chal
lenge before mentioned, the person
challenged shall not be bound t
answer if he shall say upon his oatl
| that he declines on the ground tina
/ his answer may tend to criminal
! himself; and If he shall answer a
to said first ground, his answer Snal
not be given in evidence IN an.
criminal prosecution against hin
for any offense named in sections
or 3 of this act; but if he decline
to answer on any ground, he Shal
be rejected as incompetent.
/ Sec. 6-That the President i
hereby authorized to grant amnest
! to such classes OF offenders, guilt
before the passage of this act @
bigamy, polygamy, or unlawful &C
habitatiOn, on such conditions an
| under such limitations as he sha
think proper; but no such amnest
shall have effect unless the cond
tons thereof shall be complied will
! Sec. THAT the issue
bigsmous or polygamous nal
riages, known as Mormo
marriages, in cases in whic
such marriages have bee
solemnized according to the GER
monies of the Mormon sect, IN an
Territory of the United States, an