The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-08-18
IMPORTANT FROM UTAH-POPULAR
SOVEREIGNTY IN PRACTICE.


Anarchy, murder and scoundrelism, reigns
in Utah. We have sent troops there, at a cost
of millions on millions, to preserve order, and
aid the Federal authorities i'll the execution of
the laws, but Mormon juries and Mormon
County Courts interpose insuperable barriers to
peace, order, and justice.
The correspondent of the New York Daily
Times writes as follows
"CAMP FLOYD, U. T., July /, 1859.
The Legislature of last winter was com
posed almost entirely of men against whom
there then rested or now rest accusations Of
murder, or other crimes of almost equal enor-
nifty. The first judicial district comprises
nearly one-half Of the Territory, and out of the
whole number of its representatives there are
but one or two against whom there are not we'll
founded charges of crimes committed; these
men were Interested in the laws passed, and
hence nearly all of their legislation is levelled
at the heads of the Judiciary. Nearly every
Bishop in the southern part of the Territory is
skulking about in the mountains to avoid being
arrested they have a system of telegraphing
by which there are spies posted in all of the
passes, and as soon as they see an officer of the
law approaching they hurry away and, by be-
ing acquainted with the by-paths, they almost
formation to enable the accused to escape be
fore the officer can arrive. These men look to
the Probate Courts for acquittal in case they
arrested, the Judge of this court being elect
ed by joint ballot of the General Assembly Of
course they always know their man, and hence
one of the very earliest acts of the Legislature
was to confer unusual powers upon ito grant
them original jurisdiction, both civil and Grim
mai, as well IN chancery as at common law.
They have another court, called the County
Court, composed of the Probate Judge and two
select men sitting as associates, which is not
legalized by the organic act, it expressly
providing that the judicial powers shall be
vested In Supreme Court, District Courts,
Probate Courts, and Justices of the Peace;
and this County Court also, by legislative en-
! actment, is invested with the same original
power that the United States District Court
has, and by its being composed of Mormon Off
Gals, and ali its deliberations and acts controlled
by Mormons, without regard to justice, it is
made scourge to Gentiles, and shield to
those in the faith.
"On the 10th day of June last, in San Pete
county, they tried one Thomas Ivry for murder,
and sentenced him to be shot on the 9Th day Of
this month. On petition of Thomas Adams,
Esq., the Chief Justice issued habeas corpus,
commanding the U. S. Marshal to summon
George p. Billings, the sheriff of San Pete
county, to appear before him and show cause
why he unjustly and illegally detained the said
Ivry in custody. This, it is hoped, will speed
lily settle the;questiOn of the powers and legal
ity of these, courts; for if the summons is
obeyed, it will be virtual acknowledgment of
their incapacity, and the prisoner will then
have trial before competent court; and if
it is disregarded, and the sheriff executes the
man, he will then be tried for numbering him.
| The Legislature of last winter also passed an
act prescribing the mode of procuring Jurors
| by this mode: The County Courts are COM
PEELED to select uries for the District Courts,
and thus they seek to tie the hands Of the Uni
| ted States Judges, not only in taking the bust
ness from their courts by comforting equal
powers upon inferior ones, but also by giving
them grand luries that will refuse to return
true bill, or, if compelled by force of circum-
stances to find an indictment, they have petit
jury that will acquit the accused. | am credi-
bly, informed, however, that the Judges will dis
regard this statute, on the ground that no one
has the right to select their jurors, except the
officers of their own courts"
The same correspondent states that the Nor
mons have laws on their statute books, which
prohibit lawyers in the trial of causes from
citing the decisions of the U. S. Supreme Court,
or any other court. They declare that they
are not subject to the laws Of the United States,
but are free and independent and acknowledge
no obligation to the Federal Government
The same correspondent gives another chap
ter of villainies:
"CApP FLOYD, q. T., July r. 1859.
'Since my last letter, the party that went to the
city to arrest Mackenzie has returned, having
him in custody. They brought with them bag,
containing about bushel of counterfeiting inn
plements, &cs comprising full set of engraving
tools, about dozen engraved copper plates for
the Deseret Safety Association, and other Nor
mon swindlihg banking associations; large
number offorged drafts, one ofthem on the Bank
of England, quite number of blank bank notes
on the various banks of England Ireland,
Scotland, and Wales, of various denominations,
but none over ego; large quantity of bank
bills, some signed, others not, on the following
banks Kirkland Safety Society Bank; NauvoO
House Association, Mormon Bank of Cairo,
Kaskaskia Bank of the United States; Hudson
River Bank ! Bank Of Wisconsin, Green Bay
the Mineral Point Bank Bank of Ann Arbor,
Michigan the Mississippi and Alabama Bank
the Jackson County Bank, Michigan; Bank
of Gallipolis, Ohio. lit will be seen that
majority of these banks are broken. What in
huence may these Mormons have had in their
failing?)
Z" "A large number of blank quartermaster's
checks on New York and ST. Louis, and several
reams of baak-note paper, ready torn into
proper sizes for Treasury checks, and dampened
ready for the~press. These things were all dis |
covered in private room in the building for
Home Manufacturers within the enclosure
and adjoining the residence of Brigham Young.
While the United States Marshal and his as
sistants were engaged in making list of the
things they had found, one Mr.. Kane, Brighams
head clerk, and cousin to Col Kane, of in
famous Peace Commissioner notoriety, went
into the room, and commanded the Marshal to
let those things alone-they were the private
property of brigham Young; Mackenzie had
nothing to do with them he was merely hired
by Brigham TO work for him, and had no claim
upon the things they were taking.
4" This Mackenzie, when his person was ex-
amined was found to have on the endowment
garments-proving, what was before known,
that he was luminary in the bloody constella-
ton of the rulers, in their highest confidence,
and acting upon plans formed by their council.
The intention of these men was not to put the