New-York daily tribune., 1857-04-24
MORMON LEGISLATION.
Ii,or of The N. Y. Tribsge.

To As Editor Of The ~ Y Tribsos
SIR; The following extracts are from letter dated
in California. "Jsn "a, 1857" The writer is intelli-
gent and reliable With his brother he has sojoarned
in Carsons Valley and the regions round about two
several mes and therefore knows whereof he affrms.
A. b. O.
"I see in the last TRIBUNE charge of the Judge
st Genoa Mormon SatiOn u. 7. We had not heard
OF il before. One error in it needs corrections the
statute against lcwdness referred 70 Is not United
States but Utah Territorial law. While IN Carsons
Valley lately we examined their Revised Statutes
as carefully as our time and business would permit.
Their hole aim and purpose is TO throw power into
the hands or their Elders, and dust in the eyes of
the 'Goutiles.' The Governor and Courts have ex:
traordinary discretionary powers and II the United
States Government had but half performed its duty,
much evil would have been prevented. Some of their
laws arc clearly in violation of the Constitution, and
Congress should examine them. They have what
they call Perpetual Emigration Fund Their
printed laws contain nct creating or incorporating
such fund 1t is clearly Church fund yet certain
fines and foretures directed By tar to be paid into
said fund
awe noticed also, that in an act ordering the col
latOn the laws of the territory they direct tho pub
licaton of accompanying list of laws except such
abrogated obsolete, not ia force, OF not Reces-
s0rv 10 Drinf and III the list they mark sections and
parts Of acis not print and merely refor by volume
and pale-n0t To the printed laws, buto the statutes
probably kept in the Secretarys Office in Salt Lake
City So that sn outside Gentle who Is over-cu-
tiOus must 70 there for information. But Vhy DOt
necessary to printT
"Ther laws on Siauery for outside show-very
fair just and reasonable but altogether dependent on
the magistrate for their execution Justices of the
Peace and other town officers are elected by the peo
pie but Of their acts legal until the Governor
Commissions them They allow boys of Is 10 vote
which works to the advantage OF the Mormons in
mixed settlements. They grant exclusive rights to
Elders, &c, TO all watercourses and timber lands
making the masses dependent these exclusives for
irrigation. water-pOwer, and wood. Property, when
first brought into the territory is taxed eTtrathereby
placing the extra on all property passing hrough
MOrmondom in the possession of Gentle enigrantS
To California and elsewhere. They strengthen the
power Of courts, magistrates and Elders, by dis
couraging the settlement Of good lawyers in the terri
torydenying to such any legal right to collect their
fees Hence the territory is filled with bush lawyers
disgrace to their profession and pest to community
Common law is done away WITH by forbidding the
citing oi precedents of any courts but their own.
"The laws of Utah, if extended over Carsons VAL
ley will nvaldate the right of every squatter TO three
fourths of his claim and compel him TO go to Salt Lake
City for even his catte-brand, beside confusing aud
unsettling all wel-established squatter usages and
custonts
"Thoy have no iar Of marriage, common law not
being recognized by their statutes The laws rec0g-
nze the right to plurality of wives in only in
stance and that instance would not excite attention in
ordinary reading-hence poygamy rests almost entirely
hcir osrs to inherit equally with the wife and legt
mate children the Court being the sole judge OF the
Childs parentage.
eve could fill pages with complaints against their
published laws. But of those n0Pr1Ht laws, we can
only hear through emigrants who have been Heeced
ana skinned by their operation in their passage through
Sah Lake City; and, Judging from such reports, the
'Dot-priu, list is pretty long-aud very heavy
"1he object of the Elders il very clear Their
aim Is TO build up an ogarohy powerful and hideous
the Olgarchy of our Southern States BY appropri
htng IT, themselves exclusive control of water priv
ieges and valuable woodlands, by regulating the
use of the hrst, and the roads through the last.
by receiving fees and collecting tolls thereon they have
made great strides toward rendering mt their
power. Their wives nothing more nor less than
Sares They hire them out labor and in most cases
supported by their wages. The of their peo-
pie are ignorant, fanatcal and devoted to their e.
dcry wbe, are generally very shrewd aud unscrupu-
lous scomps. They taught 10 look on all Gen
tiles as enemies and the deep, undsguised disgust
and contempt manifested toward then by all Ameri-
cans brought in contact with Mem, confirms this be-
lief.
One incident which is reliable must find room for
10 show the workings of their system. A girl sc-
eompanied family rolatives into the Territory. An
Old flder wanted her for supernuInerary wife
4 Sebe le'led his ofer with horror aud dlrgust For
"a :, was turned from the house of her relatives.
From door to door she sought employment but every
door was closed against her Starvation stared her in
The face, and--she was compelled 20 marry him.
oech Is hor1nOnlSn y. A. c..
THF ENtcpASr Am ASn Hoxvs-..D