Show VTHE EDMUNDS BILL As Amended by the Judiciary Committee Com-mittee The Measure With Whicb the Senate Sen-ate was Wrestling on Wednesday Following is the text of the Ed munds bill introduced into the Senate Sen-ate on December 12th referred to the judiciary committee amended and reported back to the Senate on January 24th with a recommendation tion that it pass It is the bill that was before the Senate on Wednesday Wednes-day A bill to amend section 5352 of the Revised Statutes of the United States in reference to bigamy and for other purposes SECTION 1Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives I Representa-tives of the United States of America Amer-ica in Congress assembled That see ion 532 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 husbani or wife living who in a territory or r 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 same day marries 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 section sec-tion 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 sncce sive years and is not known to such person to bd 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 a valid decree de-cree of a competent court nor to any person by reason of any former marriage which sh til have been pronounced pro-nounced void by a valid decree of a competent court 011 the ground of nullity of the marriage contract SEC 2Tl1at if any male person in a territory or other place over which the United States have exclusive ex-clusive jurisdiction hereafter cohabits co-habits with more than one woman I he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor mis-demeanor and on conviction thereof I shall be punished by a tine of not more than 8300 or by imprisonment for not more than six months or by both said punishments in the discretion dis-cretion of the court SEC 3That counts for any or all of the offenses named in sections one and two of this act may be joined in the same information or indictment Sec 4That in any prosecution for bigamy polygamy or unlawful cohabitation under any statute of the United States it shall be sufficient suffi-cient cause of challenge to any person per-son drawn or summoned as a juryman jury-man or talesman first that he is or has been living in the practice of bigamy polygamy or unlawful cohabitation co-habitation with more than one woman or that he is or has been guilty of an offense punishable by either of the foregoing sections or by section 5352 of the Revised Statutes of the United Statesor the act of July 1st 18o2 entitled An act to punish and prevent the practice prac-tice of polygamy in the territories of the United States and other places and disapproving and annulling annul-ling certain acts of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah or second that he believes it right for a man to have more than one living liv-ing and undivorcedwife at the same time or to live in the practice of cohabiting 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 ques-tioned on his oath as to the existence exist-ence of any such cause of challenge and other evidence may be introduced intro-duced 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 chal-lenge 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 shall not be given in evidence in any criminal prosecution against him for any offense named in sections 1 or 2 ot this act but if he declines to answer on any ground he shall be reject d as incompetent Sec 5That the Piesident is hereby authorized to grant amnesty i to such classes of offenders guilty I before the Massage i of this act of bigamy polygamy or unlawful cohabitation co-habitation on such conditions and under such limitations as he shall think proper but no such amnest shall have effect unless the conditions condi-tions thereof shall be complied with Sec CThat the issue 01 bigamous or polygamous marriages mar-riages known as Mormon marriages in raes in which uch marriages have been olemnized according to the cert monies of the Mormon sect in any Territory of the United States and i = = c to suchissue shall have been born before be-fore the first day of January A D 1SS3 are hereby legitimated Sec 7 That no polygamist bigamist biga-mist or any person cohabiting with more than one woman and no woman cohabiting 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 elec-tion held in any such Territory or other place or be eligible for election elec-tion or appointment to or be entitled enti-tled 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 S That all the registration and election offices of every description descrip-tion in the Territory of Utah are hereby declared vacant and each and every duty relating to the reg Istration of voters the conduct of elections the receiving or rejection of votes and the canvassing and returning re-turning of the same and the issuing of certificates or other evidence ot election in said Territoryshall until other provision be made by the Leg islative Assembly of said Territory a3 is hereinafter by this section provided pro-vided be performed under the existing isting laws of the United States and I of said Territory by proper persons who shall be appointed tb execute such offices and perform such duties by a board of five persons to be appointed ap-pointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the senate all of whom shall not be members of one political party a majority of whom shall be a quorum The members of said board so appointed ap-pointed by the President shall each receive a salary at the rate of 3000 per annum and shall continue in office until the Legislative Assembly Assem-bly of said Territory shall make provision pro-vision for tilling said offices as herein authorized The secretary of the Territory shall be the secretary of said board and keep n journal of its proceedings and attest the action tion of said board under this sec tion The canvass and return of all the votes at elections in said Territory Terri-tory for members of the Legislative Assembly thereof shall also be returned re-turned to said board which shall canvass all such returns and issue certificates of election to those persons per-sons who being eligible for such election shall appear to have been lawfully elected which certificates shall be the only evidence of the right of such persons tosit in such Assembly hut each house of such Assembly after its organization shall have power to decide upon the elections and qualifications of its members And at or after the first meeting of said Legislative Assembly whose members mem-bers shall have been elected t and returned re-turned according to the provisions ot this act said Legislative Assembly Assem-bly may make such laws conformable conform-able to the organic act of said Territory Ter-ritory and not inconsistent with other laws of the United States as it shall deem proper concerning the filling of the offices in said Territory declared vacant by this act |