The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-12-25
n ASHfNGTON, ID. c..

- An English tourist IL America gives in COL
sFn's London Magazine some sketches of what
4 observed and some hts at faults, which pos
/ess too much truth, BE was in Washington
daring the struggle for the Speakership, and
speaks as follows Of what be saw. What he
says Of our Ishy habit Of spittiag is very little,
If ct al, exaggerated:
II dab6ts springs up, it seems to be a
game of cross qoesfiens and crooked answers.
A member IL making speech, when 8 CUES
ton Is put to him. His answer suggests other
questions, and. while commentipg en- the re-
plies, the questioner In turn is questioned BY
some one else, and so on. When member
appears 10 be uite1;ng the last sentence Of his
speech, hale dozen or more members are on
their legs, calling out, Mr.. Clerk! Mr.. Clerk I
amid shouts from all parts Of the hall, sCall
the roll call the roIll' You will often have
no smell difficulty TO hear what is said or under
stand what Is going on, from the incessant noise
aud hustle. There is constant sharp stri-
king OF letters and papers on the desk-a mode
the members have of summoning the pages to
take their documents to the post-box- You are
amazed too at the picturesque attitudes Of come
Of the members. You are quite right in remark
ing tina. this j. a Democratic assembly. Is not
thai elegant posture, now, Of the honorable
gentleman IN the outer range OF seats? he
has fuEg one leg over the desk in front, the
heel of his boot dipping in the ink bottle, aud,
while his chair IS tilted back and his other leg
flung over over one ara Of II, he chews his
quid, picks his teeth, and squirts his tobacco
Juice 1t his neighbors spittoou, which he
misses- This Is the Yankee way Of taking it
The Americans seem to have an uncon-
quersble propensity to kick mp their heeis-
not behind. bet before. have gone into the
reading room Of the Young Mems Christian
Association, on the avenue, and found, of four
men reading, three with their feet On the table,
and the fourth baking his in the oven of the
stove. Ga moro than enc occasion, while
= sitting in the galleries at Congress, have re-
ceised q poke at the back OF my head, and,
turning round, have discovered in close proximi-
fty, not aEybody's elbow hat, bnt pair of
boots, with feet in them resting on the back OF
my seat, On az elevation with the chair of the
owner. But more disayreeable thing than
that ia the chewing aud splitting. Ia Congress,
the carpets in L c galleries are saturated, and
the staircase walls filthy dscolo-ed with tobac'
CO Juice. In the streets, when the snow was
on the ground, il looked If people had been
walking all over the city with ieaky cans OF mo
lasses.'
.ExrzAoRDINARY News rEOM UTAH-JUDI-
c1AL CHARGE AGAINST POLYGAMY-At the
July term oi The first judicial district court Of
,Utsh Territory, held at Genoa, in Carson coun-
~, Judge Drummsrd charged the grand jury
very forcbly and earnestly upon the section OF
the criminal ccde ior the punishment Of per.
sons not legally married, and for iewd conduct, |
o. set forth il the Revised Statutes Of the States
The Jadge said:
" This section, therefore, give you in charge, |
With e1J earnast desire that you will cast off ali /
pdestly Jokes of oppression, and studiously |
and honestly do your duty, without fear, favor,
or affection, wholly unbiased. Is there is no
statute law in this Territory regulating mar
rage, or touching the subject directly or indi-
recsly, il only remains for me TO say that all
these ceremonies by the people of this Terri
tory called sealing anything other in the
eyes Of the law than a legal marriage cerc-
mony. In the foregoing section the Legisla-
ture has thought proper to pass a stringent law
OF . criminal character for the punishment OF
open lewdness; this indeed was wise and hu
name on the part of those legislators, and TO
as it seems that the Legislature thereby in
tended to provide remedy for the correction
Of that crying snd most loaIhsome, barbarous,
cruel, black, aud degrading evil, which seems
be one of the cardinal doctrines OF the church,
minent in power in this Territory, polyga-
T, al least, il they did not intend il, they |
tua.iy done what should have been done |
Jund In the !
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