Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-12-25
From Utah.

Judicial Charge Against Poly eamy-The
United States Lass to be E nforc.d aga inst
IT,
At the July term of the First Judicial
District Court for Utah Territory, held at
Genoa, in Carson county, Judge Drummond
charged the Grand Jury very forcibly and
earnestly upon the following among other
sections of the Criminal Code:
sAnd now, gentlemen of the Grand Jury,
it becomes my duty to cu'l your special at
/ tenlion with strict care, to the following sec
ZION, z: Sec. 33, found ON page 1877 of the
esised Statutes of the United States, for
A. D. 1855 which reads as follows:
If any man or woman. not being married
to each other, lewdly and laScivIously as
sociate and cohabit together; or, if any mau
or woman, married or unmarried, is guilty
of open and gross lewdnesS, and designed
ly make any open and indecent exposure oI
his ur her perSun-every such person SO Of
tending shall be punished by imprisonment,
not exceeding ten Years and not less than
six months, and fine o. not more than a
thousand 1ollar<, or both, at the discretion
of the Court You will COW remember thai
you have each taken solemn oath before
GOO g. those wtnes. es, that you would 'true
presentment make of all such matters and
things as should be given you in charge, or
| otherwise come to yo"r knowledge touch
| ing the present service
This Sepfipp theruG,ra 7 oivo Won in
charge, with at ardent desire that you will
cast off all priesiiy yokes of oppression, land
s;udiouslv and honestly do your duty, with
out fear, favor TT affection wholly unbiased.
| As there is no statute law in the Territory
regulating marri"ge, or touching the subject
directly or indirectly, it only remains for me
to say that all these Ceremonies ny the peo
pie Of this Territory called sealing are
anything other in the eyes of the law than
legal marriage cert mony. In the fo-ego-
ing section the Legislature hus though ht pro-
per to pass stringent law OF criminal
character for the punishment OF open ,ewd-
ness; this, indt ed, Was wise and humane on
the par, OF those leg isstors, and to US it
seems that the Legislature thereby intend
ed 10 provide remedy Tor The ccrrecti n
OF that cry ing aud most lolths0me, barbar-
out, cruel, black and degrading evil, which
| seems 10 be one of the cardinal doctrines OF
the church prominent in power in this Ter
rltory, Poiygamy; or, at least, if they did
not intend II, they have virtually dUne,what
should have been done mary years since
The law is found in the book, unu you as
well as are soIemnIy bound to give il force
and Utility.
sit is wholly useless and MONDAY madness
for the Legislature 10 pass laws, and Tor the
Federal Government to send Judges and at
turnevs here TO execute those laws, IL the
mandate OF one maD, clothed with prIeoi-
lv power, and wholly unlsa'ned III lhe
science of the law, 10 tu be permit ted to
thwart not only the action OF the L"glsld.
ture OF the Territory, out boldly aud openly
bid open defiance and spuriIve rrbr iion
agaInst the federal authority ol the United
! States, and dictate t. Grand jules when
tu find b lis ui indictment and when not
The Sc III ngs cannot be endured III a hc-
| publican Iu,ernmen!. An these men,,
thrreure. who have multiplicity oil W.
men residing wi b them, ut the . me h,juse,
or at tie same harem, are SUBJECTS IF your
investigation. have aheady INSTRUCTED
| , ou, That there is 10 law in this Territory
autnvrlz NJ the issuing OF marriage hcenoe'
or aushorizi0g any one to perform marriage
crremon eS, either in or out of the Church;
and mu, h as You my regret to do 20, 1t Is
nevertheless your du y to respect the law
oi the lane, and prei,r bills vi indictment
against all such as have not been itga ly
married in some other country and partcu-
larry when go or more women are cuhablt-
in. .th the safe man. These instances
are too often seen and 100 much encouraged
| by the Church rre, TO insure respect from
the cviIiz-d world, either at home or abroad
aud even barbarous minds in your own CUM
try revol, at the sickenlng aud ru'y heart
rending spectacle OF the masses Of the Ter
ritory. Duty :iollows you, gentlemen, I'D
all the " waik5 OF life, at home and abroad,
IN the famiy circle, at the ballot box. at
your daily Christian devoriJns. aud prOuin-
entity here, where the inIeres, Of the crush
ed and do" "n-troj.en appeal, in thunder
tones, sor ree: al the hands of the law.