Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-06-14
iisg,, marrtasss, Fellowship, bf the relation
If mar IN his Maker.

tft4bl WI ~
Of man to his Maker" 4,
1t is, perhaps, needless for me to ada
that it is under the above spacious CLOAK
that the church claims, or did claim tne
power to enforce their tithing laws 10
solemnize aud legalize polygamous marri,
ages, and to take and hold consecrated
property, that Is, in plain English, prop
erty decided to Brigham Young, trustee
in Trust for the church, in accordance
with a revelation of the Lord, made
known to his people by their chosen
"prophet, seer and reyelator," about the
time Of this ordinance revelation which
about nine-tenths Of the poor deluded
fanatics who had followed Brigham 10
this valley and built up this city, actually
believed and acted upon.
This law was, however. made void, 80
far as polygamy was concerned, by an act
of Congress, passed in 1852. But there
are others of equally rich character. 1
will quote briefly from one still standing
unrepealed upon the statute book. 1t
reads as follows:
"And no laws or parts Of laws shall be
read, argued, cited or adopted, in any
Court, during any trial, except those en-
acted by tho Governor and Legislative
Assembly Of this Territory, and those pass
ed by the Congress Of the United States
when applicable, and no report, decisions,
or doings Of any Court, shall be read, ar
9ued cited or adopted as precedent in any
other trial."
With these two specimens OF Mormon
legislation, probably your readers will be
content, and form their ideas of Mormon
liherality and justice. and perhaps they
can discern what, if they became residents
Of this Territory for any considerable
length of time, they could not fail to see
great necessity for interference with such
laws by Congress. The church leaders,
however, make money out Of the present
state of affairs. Brigham is reported to
be worth millions, and he has made all
his money in Utah. He owns q magnii.
cent homestead Of forty acres in the north
ern part Of town, which is surrounded by
a stone wall upwards of ten feet high,
with towers at the corners and gateways,
which latter are seldom opened, and when
not closed are always guarded BY Police.
These grounds are we'll irrigated and high
~ cultivated. and within the walls are
the tithing Offices. the Deseret Netos office,
the Lords (f) s%torehouse and the Pro-
phet's harem. The latter is q magnificent,
large and well finished building, but 10
not sufficient, I am told, to hold his nu.
merous women, many Of whom live in
different wards Of the city. and some in
other settlements. No n but himself
knows the number Of his wives, and it is
currently believed that he does not know
himself. The number is variously esti-
mated at from forty-two to three hundred
and nineteen. From what I consider very
good authority, I have heard that he has
sixty-six wives living here in the city.
He appears to bear up under the burden
of q numerous family remarkably well.
and evidently enjoys the blessing Of nu-
merous wives. Although he is, I am told,
upwards of sixty years Of age, his
hair is very slightly tinged with gray; he
stands erect, is ~fashionably portly, and
has as fresh and forid q complexion as
half the men Of twenty-five. The lecher-
Gus old Falstaf has an eye for beauty,
and of later years for youth in fact,
nearly oil his last wives are mere girls in
years, whose caresses do, perhaps, ~rejuve-
nate the old fellow and renew him with
youthful vigor like tabled Florida Waters.
BOISE,