The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-04-12
The Anti-Polygamy Bill.

(
ton ffty-three hundred and ffty-two of th,
Revised Statutes OF the United States be
and the same is hereby, amended so as L
] read as follows, namely:
Every person who has husband or wife
living who, in Territory or other plact
I over which the United States have exclusive
; Jurisdiction, hereafter marries another,
whether married or single, and any man
, who hereafter simultaneously, or on the
same day, nIarries more than one woman
I IN Territory or otaer place over which the
United States have exclusive jurisdiction,
Is guilty OF polygamy, and shall be punished
by a fine OF not more than five hundred
dollars and by imprisonment for term oi
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 marriage which
shall have been dissolved by valid decree
of a competent coart, nor to any person by
| reason of any former marriage which shall
have been pronounced void by valid
decree of q competent court, on the ground
of nulIity of the marriage contract"
SEC ,. That the foregoing provisions
shall not effect the prosecution or punish
ment of any otfense already committed
against the section amended by the first
section of this act.
SEC. 3. 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 a misdemeanor,
and on conviction thereof shall be punished
- ce s., l. 4
| dollars or by imprisonment for not more
than six months, or by both said punish
ments, in the discretion or the court.
SEC. /. That counts for any or all of the
offenses named in sections one and three of
this act may be joined in the same informa-
! tion or Indictment.
! SEC. ). That in any prosecution for bgG-
my, polygamy, or unlawful cohabitatio n,
| under any statute of the United States, it
| shall be sufficient 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 un-
! lawful cohabitation with more than one
woman, or that he is or has been guilty of
an offense punishable by either of the fore
| going sections or by section ffty-three
| hundred and ifty-two of the Revised
| Statutes of the United States, or the act Of
! July first, eighteen hundred and sixty-two,
entitled 'an act to punish and prevent the
practice of poygamy in the Territories 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 living and
undivorced wife at the same time, or to live
in the practice of cohaoiting with more than
one woman; and any person appearing or
offered as a juror or talesman, and chal-
lenged on either of the foregoing grounds,
may be questioned on his oath as to the
existence of any such cause of challenge,
and other evidence 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 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 |
as to said first ground, his answer shalt not |
be given in evidence in any criminal pros
ecuti0n against him for any offense named |
in sections one or three of this act; but if |
he declines to answer on any ground, he |
shall be rejected as incompetent.
SEC 6. That the President is hereby |
authorized to grant amnesty to such classes
of offenders 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 bigam0us or |
polygamOus marriages, known as Mormon |
marriages, in cases in which such marriages |
have been solemnizad according to the |
ceremonies of the Mormon sect, in any |
Territory of the United States, and such |
issue shall have been born before the first |
day Of January, ammo Domni eighteen hun
dred and eighty-three, are hereby Iegitina-
ted
SEC. s. That no polygamist, bigamist,
or any person cohabiting with more than
one woman, and no woman cohabting with |
any of the 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 Ter
ritory 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 Uni
ted States.
SEC. g. That ali the registration and cleo
ton offices OF every description in the Ter
ritory of Utah are hereby declared vacant,
and each and every duty relating to the
registration of voters, the conduct of eiec-
tions, the receiving or rejection Of votes,
and the canvassing and returning of the
same, and the issuing of certificates or other
evidence of election in said Territory, shall,
until other provision be made by the Iegis-
Iat a-.ar, bIv of said FTarritorv j. |
matter by this section provided, be perform
ed under the existing laws of the United
States and ofsaid Territory by proper per-
sons, 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 con-
sent Of the Senate, not more than three Of
whom shall be members of one political par
ty; and a majority of whom shall be a
quorum. The members of said board so
appointed by the President shall each
receive a salary at the rate of three thous-
and dollars per annum, and shall continue
in Office until the legislative assembly Of
said Territory shall make provision for fill
ing said Offices as herein authorized. The
Secretary of the Territory shall be the Sec
retary Of said board, and keep a journal of
its proceedings, and attest the action of said
D0dFu ulQeE LliS $BctlUi. 1HE CdHFdos anu |
return Of all the votes at elections in said
Territory for members of the legislative as
semby 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 elec-
ton, shall appear to have been lawfully
elected which certificates shall be the only
evidence Of the right of such persons, to sit
in such assembly Provided, That said board
of five persons shall not exclude any
person otherwise eligible to vote from the
polls on account of any opinion such person
may entertain on the subject of bigamy or
polygamy nor shall they refuse to count any
such vote on account Of the opinion of tie
person casting it on the subject of bigamy
or polygamy; but each house Of such assem-
bly,, after its organization. shall have power
to decide upon the elections and qualihca
tions Of its members. And at, or after the
first meeting of said legislative assembly I
whose members shall have been elected and /
returned according to the provisions Of this |
act, said legislative assembly may make I
such laws, e0nformable TO the organic act OF /
said Territory aud not inconsistent with 9th
er laws Of the United States, as il shall deem /