FIFTY-FOURTH CONGRESS. Sess. Il. Gus. 29, 30. 1897. 487 _ QKAP. 29.-An Act To reduce the cases in which the penalty of death may be January 15, 1897. inflicted. ·~—————— Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in all cases where the {_’§;“‘,L°“;}]5'g',;mm, accused is found guilty of the crime of murder or of rape under sections for numertr i-spe ir fifty-three hundred and thirty-nine or fifty-three hundred and forty-tive, "°§‘?§_°§,§;‘;1*,f§,§‘,§·53,5 Revised Statutes, thejury may qualify their verdict by adding thereto rp-1035. was.‘ “ without capital punishment; " and whenever the jury shall return a verdict qualified as aforesaid the person convicted shall be sentenced to imprisonment at hard labor for life. _ Sec. 2. That except ollenses mentioned in sections fifty-three hun- m{,“"‘{2§§}‘§‘,f{’cf, {.3; dred and thirty-two, thirteen hundred and forty-two, sixteen hundred ·1¤g¤1¤ inquiry. and twenty-four, fifty-three hundred and thirty-nine, and fifty-three AL;’_$"°Q'{,"}5 N, hundred and forty-five, Revised Statutes, when a person is convicted j;**g°·· 1¤¤¤1·¤¤ M3 of any offense to which the punishment of death is now specifically §.S..secs.1342,1624, affixed by the laws of the United States, he shall be sentenced to im- PP·”°· prisonment at hard labor for life, and when any person is convicted of an offense to which the punishment of death, or a lesser punishment, in the discretion of the court, is allixed, the maximum punishment shall be imprisonment at hard labor for life. Sec. 3. That the punishment of death prescribed for any offense ,,,,E,°;,'f"‘1’°"“*"1'*"°*· specified by the statutes of the United States, except in sections fifty- Exceptions. three hundred and thirty-two, thirteen hundred and forty-two, sixteen 53§§_§g,f§,‘?‘},§,;,§3‘,f’i,{%· hundred and twenty-four, fifty-three hundred and thirty-nine, and fifty- 275- 10%.1038-, ` three hundred and forty-ive, Revised Statutes, is hereby abolished, and all laws and parts of laws inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed. Sec. 4. That nothing herein contained shall apply to or in any way m1_:>;:i¤5fr{:;¤¤d- affect any proceeding or indictment now found or pending or that may ° °° ' be found for any odense committed before the passage of this Act, and all offenses committed before the passage of this Act shall be punished under the laws then in force: Provided, That j uries may return qualified f,’;;'{f;,';,,v°rd,cts¤,_ verdicts in such cases according to the provisions of section one of this isms. Act, and the sentences shall be imposed as therein provided. Sec. 5. That any Indian who shall commit the oiiense of rape within b 1’E{·,ig;1¤¤;¤¤¢'¤*=¤w the limits of any Indian reservation shall be punished by imprisonment Y ' at the discretion of the court. So much of the ninth section of chapter imiuficn of Sun three hundred and fortyone of the acts of the year eighteen hundred juv°|_`g,:,?';;:` and eighty-five as is inconsistent herewith is herewith repealed. Approved, January 15, 1897. CHAP. 30.-An Act Approving certain acts of the legislative assembly of the January 16, 1897. Territory of New Mexico, authorizing the issue of certain bonds of said Territory, " —·w—-· and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United _ States of America in Congress assembled, That the coupon bonds and £§fQ‘§,¥*,§§,,dS aP_ indebtedness of the Territory of New Mexico, amounting to seventy-tive prgxedid mb mn thousand dollars, authorized by section seven of an act of the thirty- ,,,,,,,1*; '“ g first legislative assembly of the Territory of New Mexico, entitled “An act authorizing the rebuilding of the Territorial capitol at Santa Fe, which was destroyed by iire May twelfth, eighteen hundred and ninety- two, and to provide the necessary means therefor and a board with authority to rebuild the same," approved February fifth, eighteen hundred and ninety-five, and designated as capitol rebuilding bonds of the Territory of New Mexico; _ _ _ _ Also, the bonds and indebtedness, amounting to fifteen thousand dol- shlfzjgm ¤¤¤**1'F ¤· lars, authorized by section one of an act of the said legislative assembly of the Territory of New Mexico, entitled "An act to provide for the mainten ance of the military institute at Roswell, New Mexico," approved February thirteenth, eighteen hundred and ninety-five;
