Show THE EDMUNDS BILL I Following is the full text of the Edmunds bill as it has passed both houses of Congress and will be presented pre-sented to the President for his approval ap-proval j A BILL To amend section 5352 of the Revised Re-vised Statutes of the United States inreference to bigamy and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House pf Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Con-gress assembled That section 5352 of the Revised Statutes of the United States be and tho same is hereby amended so as to read as follows namely I 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 same day marries more than one s 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 fipeof 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 1 I marriage shall have been absent for fire 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 a valid decree de-cree of a competent court nor to any person by reason of any former marriage whichshall have been pronounced pro-nounced void by a valid decree of a competent court on the ground of nullity of the marriage contract SEC 2That the foregoing provisions pro-visions shall not affect the prosecution prosecu-tion or punishment of any offense I already committed against the section sec-tion amended by the first section of this act SEC 3That 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 he shall be deemed guilty of a mis demeanorand on conviction thereof shall be punished by a tine ef not more than S300 or by imprisonment for not more than six months or by both said punishments in the die cretion of the court SEC 4That 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 I indictment I SEC 5That 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 guiity of an offense punishable by either of the foregoing sections or bY section 5352 of the Revised Statutes of the United States or the act of July 1st 1862 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 amati to have more than ne living liv-ing and undivorced wife at the same time or to live in the practice of cohabiting with more tkan one woman and any person appearing or offers d as a juror or talesnun and challenged on either of the foregoing grounds may be ques i the exist I tioned on his oath as to ence of any such cause chalieng 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 3 of this act but if he declines to answer on any ground he shall be rejected as incompetent SEO 6That the President is hereby authorized to grant amnesty to such classes of offenders guilty before the passage 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 amnesty shall have effect unless the conditions condi-tions thereof shall be complied with SEC > 7That the issue of bigamous or polygamous marriages known as Mormon marriages In e aaes in which such marriages have been solemnized according to the ceremonies cere-monies of the Mormon sect in any Territory of the United States and such issue shall have been born before be-fore the first day of January A D 1SS3 are hereby legitimated SEC sThat 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 elegible 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 I Sec 9 That all the registration and election offices of every descrip ionin 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 cauvassimg and returning turning of the same and the issu JIg of certificates or other evidence of election in said T erri torysb all until other provision be made by the Leg slative Assembly of said Territory as hereinafter by this section provided pro-vided be performed under the ex istiug 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 o board of ive persons to be appointed ap-pointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate not more than three of whom shall be members of one political party a majority of whom i shall be a quorum The members mem-bers of said board so appointed by the President shall each receive ceive 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 filling said offices as herein authorized The secretary of the territory shall be the secretary of said board and keep a journal of its proceedings and attest the action ac-tion of said board under this sec tion The canvass and return of all the votes at elections in said terri torv for members of the Legislative Assembly thereof shall also be returned turned to said board which shall canvass all such returns and issue certificates of election to those per sons who being eligible for such election shall appear to have been lawfuly elected which certificates shall be the only evidence of the right of such persons to sit in such Assembly provided said board of five persons shall not exclude any persons otherwise eligible to vote from the polls on account of any opinion such person may entertain on the subject of bigamy or polygamy polyg-amy 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 polyg-amy but each house of such Assembly As-sembly after its organization shall have power to decide upon the elec tions and qualifications of its members mem-bers And at or after the first meeting of said Legislative Assembly Assem-bly whose members shall have been elected and returned according to the provisions of this act said Legislative Assembly may make i such laws conformable to the Organic Or-ganic Act of said Territory and not inconsistent with other laws of the United States as it shall deem proper pro-per concerning the filling of the offices in said Territory declared i vacant by this act |