Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1857-05-21
UTAH OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Lo1y6dHy d1ISi I1s A1IOoI1SO'
SPEECH OF THE HON. j. S. MORRIL

o
SPEECH OF THE HON. J. s. morrill,,
OF VERMONT,
Ia House of Representatives. Feb. a3 1867.
[coNTfNUED
In order more effectually to hold all Nor
mons within the grippe of the Church, and
compel them to discard all other tribunals, it
is their policy to discard and drive out Of the
Territory all lawyers. That profession seems
to be dreaded as their natural foe. In the
Territorial Laws, page 1879, the lawyers come
in for it in this style, viz:
:" SEC 2. No person or persons employing
counsel in any of the Courts of this Territory
shall be compelled by any process to pay the
counsel so employed, for any services rendered
as counsel, before Or after, or during the pro
iecssof trial in the case -
SEC 4. 1t shall be the duty of the Judges
lef all Courts in the Territory to forbid and
prevent all indecent and exciting language and
behavior in their Courts, and in case Of re-
buke to counsel being disregarded and resented
by said counsel, it shall oe the duty of the
Judge, giving such rebuke, to nullily the right
to plead of such counsel, and to take measures
to pro ibit him from being heard as counsel in
any Court Of this Territory, until such time as
satisfaction has been given for his good conduct
in future. Aud it shall further be his duty to
impose fine on such counsel not exceeding one
hundred dollars, as he may deem just and he
may commit said counsel to prison during tue
term Of Court then being holden.
4 SEC 5. Any attorney, or person otherwise
assuming to appear before any Court in this
Territory in any cause Whatever shall present
oil the facts in the case whether they are cal
ecuated to make against his client or not--of
which he is in possession, and shall present the
best evidence that he can in the case, to the in
bent that the true state of the case in litigation
may be presented before the Court and for
failure to do so or to comply with all the re-
I quirements OF this act shall be liable to all the
penalty hereinbelorc provided for, and the fur
ther penalty of not less than one dol ar, AT the
discretion of the Court
This is a tight place for lawyers. They
must work without any legal. claim for pay.
They must not use "any indecent language"
nor get excited. They must prove
GAIL doctrines plain and clear''
on both sides of the case at once, being liable,
for contempt, and for all sorts of short-com-
: ings, to severe and summary punishment
Peter, the Great, when in England, said,
/" there was but one lawyer in Russia, and
J" he was going to hang him." The number
in Utah cannot be much greater than then ex-
listed in Russia.
| On page 800 of the Territorial Laws is a
resolution of rather comprehensive dimen-
sions, but not wholly bad, which authorizes
each county to elect Council of twelve as
refrees, to decide all cases of litigation
brought before them by mutual consent, their
5 decision to be final but not to vest in said
f Council any judicial power. This, if design
ed to settle all differences peaceably and with
out costs, is well; but if for the purpose Of
: concentrating all power in the Church, il
!. would wear a different aspect.
n The act organizing the Territory of Utah
provided that the right of suffrage and Of
! holding Office shall be exercised only by the
: citizens of the United States, including those
e recognized as citizens by the treaty with the
U Republic of Mexico, concluded February I'd
/. 1S41;" yet aliens are allowed to vote and
O hold office. Mormonism is the higher-law
qualification. In point of fact, all the vo
: tiers are mere machines to register the edict:
It of President Young. No one dares to throw
a scattering vote; and hence the result is
nearly always a unanimous vote. The Pres
ident nominates and The News publishes the
no,,;not;o, onJ +bo V,nI,oo and tbo Soo+ +br
:, Welshman and the Swede, the Sandwich Is
i lander and the Australian all echo the same
= note In order to be able to strangle any
dscordant or rebellious votes in their infancy
while the vote by ballot is established, they
use the ballot as in irrefragabe witness tc
O ear-mark the voter. The act on page 233 o.
j. Territorial Laws will show the efectual mean,
:. used to track out and hunt down any one O.
;. their number who would have the presump
i. ton to mar the unanimity of the ballot-box
}. and the equanimity of the Lion of the Lord
s Here is the law:
|, Sec. s." "Each elector shall
}. provide himself with vote containing the
i names of the persons he wishes elected, and the
:, offices he would have them fill and present il
:. neatly folded to the judge of the elections who
shall number and deposit it in the ballot box
the clerk shall then write the name of the elec.
: tor, and opposite it the number of his vote"
!. 1t was so provided by the Organic Act
:. that, "No law shall be passed [by Utah in
O terfering with the primary disposal of thu
soil" Yet it is notorious that all the valu
able portions of the land are squat upon
and the Territorial Assembly gives the powe
to occupy, rent and transfer these rights o
- claims. Of course there is no necessity fol
any title to land from the United States. II
,, buy that would be spending money foolishly
the Mormons knew better. They have pos
:, session, and that is a good title against tn
!, United States But land is reckoned rathe
= valueless without wood and water, and thes
h latter are monopolized not only by the Nor
g mons, but by few Mormons-the Govorno
:, and his Apostles. 1t is only in proximity t
i the mountains in Utah that "wood grows o
j water runs" Whoever controls these place
!. commands the destnies Of the people, an
sets his own limits to his wealth. The grant
!. for these privileges are numerous wide Ter
ritorial Laws PIP. So, GA, Y, 73), and tn
!. Prophet and his Apostles have no "mora
convictions against such special legislation
As sample of these acts--an adobe from tn
Mormon temple will give here (page 63
chap viz.
+" Be Il ordained by The General Assembly o
The Stale of Deseret, That Brigham Young
!. 4 e
: aud that he pay into the Public Treasury thu
: sum of $500 therefor
As all the land requires to be irrigated tc
; make it fruitful the sole control of the City
= creek may be considered the cream of thesC
:. special grants, and brother Brigham doubt
U lace finds tho rovenue snueazed from, tho Greot