Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-06-12

sIHo uISb IlIatCc, dHO tucu CACCutCt WV -"
The difficulty this side Of the House ha'
found is, that the people Of Utah have VIC
lated no law which we can go to war about
Mr.. LETCHER- Then have only te
say to my friends on the other side Of tho
House, that it seems to me they are very
slow in bringing forward their legislation
| Why have they not brought forward some
proposition long ago to remove the dithcul
~?
Mr.. STANTON. The gentleman frou
Vermont. Mr.. MORRILL, -
Mr.. LETCHER. What is that2
Mr.. MORRILL, The gentleman from
Virginia inquiries why We do not Introduce
some legislation on this side of the hall
I will state that, at the lass Congress, 3
[ bill was introduced By ne to prohibit poly
gany, which was referred and reported
back to the House, but it was never reach
led. In the present session, at the earliest
moment I could, I introduced bill upon
| the same subject, which was referred to the
Committee on tie judiciary, but has moi
been reported back 70 the House. A ma
jority Of that committee is composed Of gen
tlemcn on the other side Of the House.
Mr.. LETCHER. You had your com
mittces in the last Congress, and you had
your Speaker why did you not then gel
up your bill and pass it! But I ask the
gentleman from Ohio what authority you
have got to pass any laws to remedy the
difficulty? VIII you pass q law to inter
fere with the religion Of the Mormons, as
they consider it !? How will you frame your
laws to meet this difficulty, and where will
you get your authority
MIR. STANTON. We on this side Of the
House hold that Congress has not yielded
all the power to legislate over the Terrific
rics; they have as much power to lcgislatc
upon the subject Of polygamy Or any other
crime as they have in the District Of Colum-
bia, or as the States lave within their own
jurisdiction. st8t M
Mr.. LETCHER. The right to legislate
for the overthrow Of their religion v
Mr.. STANTON. We have as much right
to legislate there within the limits Of the
constitution as any State has within its own
limits
Mr.. LETCHER. Docs the gentleman
take, the grounds, then, that we have the
right to lcgislatc upon tic subject Of relig-
ion?
Mr.. STANTON. I take the ground that
we have the right to prohibit polygamy
Does the gentleman call that religion?
Mr.. LETCHER. say that they call it
religion and if the gentleman undertakes
to decide whether it is good or bad religion,
somebody else may decide that his religion
is bad; and they have just as much right SO
to decide as he has to decide that the rcli-
gion Of anybody else is bad
Mr.. STANTON. Viii the gentleman
undertake to say that when what they call
religion has reference to the social relation,
and to the relation between the sexes. it is
not within the control Of Inc legislation ef
Congress Cannot a State prescribe regu-
latlons IN respect to marriage, and prohibit
polygany? Have you not such laws in
this District and if 50, why cannot you
make such laws for the Territory
Mr.. LETCHER. You have delegated to
the Territory Of Utah the right to lsgislatc
III regard to her domestic institutions. Now,
where have you reserved the right to legis-
late upon this subject?
Mr.. STANTON. We have certainly not
defcgatedall Legislative powers
u Mr.. LETCHER. Where have you re,
served tho power you are now claiming to
exercise upon this subject? s.g .,s.. ~.
Mr.. MORRILL,. If the gentleman from
Virginia will yield to me for moment, 1
will answer his question. In the organic
act Of Utah Territory, Congress expressly
rcacrvcd the power to approve or disap-
prove Of all laws passed by its Legislative
assembly, *
!. Mr.. LETCHER. But, suppose they
have passed no law upon the subject-as I
understand they have not done how is
Congress to. approve or disapprove them :
| think they have passed no law rceognis-
ing pclygamy or, if they have, I have
been unable to find it in thcis statutes. !.
Mr.. MORRILL,. If the gentleman Will
examine the laws passed by the te territorial
government Of Utah, he will find that the
whole subject is placed in the power Of the
priesthood, and that by Legislation they in
directly, but still substantially, recognise
~ - YIN
Mr.. LETCHFR. Well, sir, l doubt very
much whether the gentleman can find that
It is certainly not in the volume / saw. /
have. seen but one volume Of their. acts,
which was some two or three years ago,
when I had occasion to use it in debate +;
but I was unable to find any such law there
Now, SIR, there is another point. My
friend from Ohio Mr.. SHERMAN undertook
Ito charge here that. the administration were
constantly violating the law when they al
flowed surplus to be carried from one
head of an appropriation and applied to a.
mother. Well, now, sir, if the gentleman
will turn to the tenth volume of the Stat
utes-at-Large. he will find this section,
which | commend to his consideration and
to the consideration Of gentlemen On the
other side Of the House, and think good
portion Of them will be willing to endorse
it when they learn from whose pen it ema-
mated. The section is in these words:
"SEc. %. And be 1t further enacted,
That in case the sum appropriated for
any Object should be found more than suf-
ficient,to meet tho expense thereby contem-
plated, the surplus may be applied, under
the direction Of the head Of the proper de-
partment, to supply the deficiency Of any
other item, in the same department. or Of
fec: Provided, That the expenditure for
newspapers and periodicals shall not exceed
the amount specifically appropriated to that