Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-05-06
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

L
Legislature of Massachusetts, asking Congress estab-
sh floating schools in the various harbors of the country
for the education of for the navy which
frred to the Committee ON Commerce and ordered to be
printed.
Mr. BENSON, by consent presented resolutions Of the
Legislature of Maine in favor of cheap postage
IN relation to certain proposed notifications of the nav
CATION laws OF the United States allowances of bounes
to hshng vessels and reciprocal trade with the North
American Colonies in relation to the revenue laws of
the United States and in favsr of the abolition of spirit
ratons In the navy; which were laid on the table and
ordered to be printed.
Mr. CR0CKER asked consent to offer the following re-
solution
Reoieed That Tuesday mmittees shall be called
and have leave to report bills of private character only
which, on being read first and second m shall be refer
red to Committee of the Whole House without debate.
Objection was made
Mr.. LILLY moved that when the House adjourn to-day
it adjourn to meet Monday next; which motion was
disagreed to: Yeas ST. nays 76.
TERRITORIAL BUSINESS.
On motion of Mr.. LETCHER, the House went into
Committee of the Whole on the state of the Unon (Nr
PHELPS OF Missouri in the chair and resumed the
sderaon Of the bill Of the House establish the office
of surveyor general of Utah. grant donations to
settlers therein, and for other purposes
Yesterday, on motion of Mr. READY, the following
substituted for the proviso Of the bill which declares
that the benefits of this shall not extend to any
SON who shall at any time hereafter be the hus
band of more than wife :"
And that any person who shall at any time have more
|
acquired under this act.'
! The pending question was on the amendment of Mr..
LETcHEa, providing that the benefits of this shall
extend to any person.
Mr. DISNEY contended that the evil of polygamy could
not be reached by denying the benefit of grant of land
to any person who shall now any time hereafter,
be the husband of more than wife" The only ques
ton whether it polite for Congress offer these
inducements to encourage emigration Of Mormons this
particular Territory?
Mr.. PERKINS, of New York, thought it very strange
that the United States officers in Utah, receiving large
salaries, should be allowed to have thirty forty
wives while the poor fellows who there settle the
soil were not to be allowed more than wife.
MIR. BOICE was in favor of striking out the proviso.
No man was more opposed to poygamy than himself but
he denied the right of the Government interfere in the
religious relations OF the people Of this Territory The
right OF governing the Territories not unlimited
one Government could not interfere in their domestic,
social religious relations He opposed any in
fraction of the constitution by an interference with
these relations and therefore hoped the provso would be
stricken out. >sI ..1f ."
| Mr.. CAMPBELL assumed the position that if the Gov
ernment had the power to grant lands at ALL it had the
right to afx such conditions to the donation it might
deem wholesome Suppose in the wilaness of religious
fanatcsm in Utah. the people should imagine they had
received revelation from the prophet Joe Smith which
required them to enact ecclesiastical law providing
that the eldestborn of every woman, when month
old, should be sacrificed and slaughtered; and suppose
they should come here and ask Congress to
sentiments of that kind, would not the honorable gentle
man from South Carolina ir BoYcE) acting in the
pacity of guardian representing people having a
joint interest in the land in this Territory deem proper
and advisable to provide that person who had sub
scribed to and pracsed the principles of such o
| ligous ecclesiastical law should have the grant !?
Mr.. BOYCE replied he would do nothing to recognise
such state of things But he would ask the gentle
from Ohio if Congress had the right to say that
Presbyterian should have the privilege of grant like
| that proposed in the bill?
| Mr.. CAMPBELL replied that if the Presbyterian
Church in Utah, through violent fanacism should de-
loIo
any other crime should exist there he would say that
subscribing to or practising it should have any Of
| the public domain. ,..
Mr.. WALBRIDGE did not propose to discuss the con-
sutional question involved, but that Of morals. If
member Of the House should take among his constituents
more than wife, he would not only be met by just
condemnation, but be subjected to the law which pre-
scrbes punishment for the offence, and find residence
in the pententiary.
| Mr. PHILLIPS said that the proyiso was founded on
the idea that Congress ought discourage poygamy be-
cause it crime. He objected to Congress taking
jurisdiction, even in collateral incidental manner,
the question: in conflict with the provisions OF the
Constitution.
Mr.. TAYLOR of Ohio, said that affairs in Utah afforded
beautiful specimen Of squaer sovereignty of leaving
the people to legislate for themselves.
Mr.. BOfCE further argued against the proviso, and
trusted Congress would not trample the Constitution
der foot
Mr. LETCHER said that no State in the Union that he
knew of recognised the crime of polygamy part Of
its system. In the Territory of Utah polygamy was
neither less than regularly recognised SYSTEM
adopted under their ecclesiastical law and recognised in
their legislative law Had they recognised murder,
piracy any other species of crime system, Con-
gress in making donations of this kind could express its
decided and unqualified disapproval of any such system
This question of religion; it question of
vice. and if these donations should be made it would be
paying n tribute to crime.
Mr.. LANE of Oregon, urged the necessity Of laying
aside the bill under consideration that other
might be acted upon. He made motion to that effect
and reminded the committee that this week only had
been set aside for Territorial business
| Considerable debate ensued, when the motion was
disagreed to.
Mr.. PERKINS, ofNew York, then moved that the bill
be laid aside to be reported to the House with recon
mendaton that it do not pass which motion decided
in the affirmative: Ayes S4 noes not counted.
The bill Of the House to extend the right Of preempton
unsurveyed lands in Minnesota and for other
poses then taken up and after having been explain
ed by Mr.. RICE, laid aside to be reported to the
House with recommendation that it pass.
The committee then proceeded to consider House bill to
authorize the President of the United States to
be surveyed tract of land in the Territory Of Minnesota
belonging the half breeds mixed bloods of the Da-
coah Sioux nation of Indians and for other purposes
Mr. WRIGHT, of Mississippi, explained the bill, when
it laid aside to be reported to the House with re-
commentator that it pass as was also
The bill of the House appropriatng $4,000 for con-
tnuing the road from Myrtle Creek to Scotsburgh, IN
Oregon.
The bill Of the House authorize the Secretary of War
to settle and adjust the expenses of the Rogue river In
dian considered and having been explain
by Mr. LANE of Oregon was laid aside to be reported
to the House with recommendation that it pass
The following bills Of the House then taken up,
read and laid aside be reported to the House with
N fayn llo pIot;n