Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1882-02-25
The Antl-POlygamy Bill Passed by the
Senate.
WASHINGTON, February 10.


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 hus-
band or Wife living who, in Territory or 9TH
or place over which the United States have ex-
elusive jurisdiction hereafter marries anoth-
err whether married or single, and any who
hereafter simultaneously, or on the same day,
marrles 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 a fine of not
more than $500 and bylmprsohment for a 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
i've 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 decree of acompetent court,
| nor to any person by reason of any former
marriage which shall have been pronounced
| void by valid decree of a competent court, on
the ground OF nullity of the marriage contract.
SEC. =. That the foregoing provisions shall
not affect the prosecution or punishment OF
any ohense already committed against the SEQ
| ton amended by the first section of this act.
SEC. 3. That If any male person, in u Terri
tory or other 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 fine
OF not more than 500, or by Imprisonment for
not more than six months, or by both said pun
| ishments, in the discretion of the court.
SEC 4. That the counts for any or all of the
Offcnses named in sections one and two of this
| act may be joined in the same information or
indictment.
SEC o. That in any prosecution for bigamy,
| polygamy or unlawful cohabitation, under any
statute of the United States, it shall be sufii-
cient 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, polygamy or unlawful cohabtation
with more than one woman, or that he is or
has been guilty of an Otfense punishable by
either of the foregoing sections, or by section
! 5352 of the Revised Statutes of the United
States, or act of July ], 1862, entitled IAN act
to punish and prevent the practice of polyg-
amy IN the Territories 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 it right for man TO have
more than one living and undivorced
wife at the same time, or live in
the practice of cohabiting with more than
one woman; and any person appearing or
offered as juror or talesman, aud 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 as to
the first ground of challenge before mentioned,
the person challenged shall not be bound to
answer II he shall say upon his oath he de-
ciines on The GROUND that his answer may tend
TO criminate himself; and IL he shall answer as
to said first ground, his answer shall not be
given in evidence in any criminal pro secution
against him for any otfense named in sections
or of this act; but if he declines to answer
on any other ground h. shall he rejected as in.
competent.
SEC. g. That the President is hereby author.
lied t. 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 us
he shall think propeR but NJ such amnes ty
shall have effect unless the conditions thereof
shall be complied WITH
SEC. T. That the issue Of bgamous or polyg.
amous marriages, known rs Mormon mar
Iiages, in cases in which such marriages have
been soemnzed acc )rdng to the ceremonies
of the Mormon sect, in any Territory Of the
United States, and such issue shall have been
born before the LIST day of January, A. d. 1883,
are hereby legitimzed.
SECS That no polygamst bigamist, or any
,l,aI.tt
and no woman cohabting with any of the per-
sons described rs aforesaid in this section, in
any Territory or other place over which the
United States have exclusive jurisdiction,
shall he entitled to vote at any election held i'm
any such Territory or other place, or be eligi.
BILE for election or appointment to, or be emit.
tied to hold, any Office or place of public trust,
honor, or emolnment in, under, or for any
such Territory or place. or under the United
States
SEC. Q, That all registration and election Off
ces 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 canvass,ng and re-
turning of the same, and issuing of certificates
or other cvdC nee of election in said Territory
SHALL until other provision be made by the
Legislative Assembly of said Territory, as is
hereinafter by this section provided, be per-
formed under existing laws of the United
States and OF said Territory, by the proper
persons, who shall be appointed to execute
such offices an perform such duties by Board
of five persons to be appointed by the Presi-
dent, 10y and with the advice and consent of
the Senate, not more of whom than three
shall be memters of one political party and a
majority OF whom shall be Il quorum. The
members of said Board so appointed by the
President shall each receive Il salary at the
rate Of 5000 per annum, and shall continue in
Office until the Legislative Assembly of said
Territory shall make provision for filling said
offices, as herein authorized. The Secretary of
the Territory shall be Secretary of said Board,
and keep journal of its proceedings and at
stations of said Board under this sect on.
The canvass and returns of all votes mt cleo
lions in said Territory for members of the Leg
islative Assembly thereof shall also be re-
turned to said Board, which shall canvass all
such returns and issue certificates of election
TO those persons who, being eligible for such
election, shall appear to have been lawfully
elected which certificates shall be only
evidence of the right of such persons
10 sit in such Assembly, provided said
Board of five persons shall not exclude any
person, otherwise eligible to vote, from the
polls on account of any opinion such person
NAV entertain on the subject of bgamy 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 each house of such Assembly,
after its organization, shall have power to de
eide upon the election and qualifications of its
members, and at or after the first meeting of
said Legislative Assembly whose members
shall have been elected and returned accord
ing to the provisions of this act, said Legisa-
tive Assembly may make such laws conforma-
bic TO the organic act OF said Territory, and not
inconsistent with the other laws of the United
States as Il shall deem proper concerning the
filling Of the offices in said Territory declared