New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-29
TUE NEWS AT WASHINGTON
,,popTANT LEGISLATIVE MEASURES.


QUESTIONS
warm debate on the Mormon question Is
oxnected in the House at an early day,
,rbon the Campbell Cannon contest comes
before that body for action. 1t is thought
nrohoble that neither contestant will be ad-
,nitted. and an effort will be made to deprive
Utah of representation so long as poygaihy Is
practised and protected IN that ierll'oiy'
Congressman WhitthOrne Will continue 10 OPP
nose all interoceanic canal schemes anu SlEco
TO a TRIBUNE correspondent the reasons loI HIS
course. 1t is stated that there was never any
misunderstanding between the fresioen' an"
Mr.. Blaine in reference to the la''eI io'"c
ment from the Cabinet. Senator sherman
views ON financial questions are briefly stated
THE pPc1uJAR INSTITUTION IN DANGER
lpY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEl
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2S.-The first business OF I'M
portance to be considered and disposed OF oy the
Uonse of Representatives after Congress reaSsepios
will he the Utah case which will be brought up
Tuesday January 10 on Mr.. Haskelrs resolution 10
seat Mr.. Campbell. who holds certificate as ueie-
pate-elect 1t is expected that ). ;. COX OF soiho
other Democratic member will propose resolution
TO seat Mr.. Cannon, the Mormon delegate lhstedu'
and there IS every indication that upon these two
"A
ous debate will ensue and that 1t VIII not emo
until the merits and demerits of MormOnism and
nolvpamv shall have been pretty thoroughly dis
cussed.
All the facts officially known to the House are
that Campbell holds certificate of election from
the Governor of Utah certifying that he (CamDbell
60 was the person. being a citizen OF the Umted
States having the highest number OF votes at said
election; that according to table OF votes, ceruhed
by the Secretary of Utah 1err tory to be correct
transcript from the records of the Territory Cannon
received Is 56S votes and that CampbeII received
1857 votes together with certain papers showing
that in the Governors opinion, derived from an in
vestipation of the court records of the Territory,
Cannon is an alien: and the further fact that the
name of Cannon placed on the pay-roIl
of the House a Delegate by 1Clerk ADAMS
Mr.. Haskell and those who agree with him maintain
that the only paper to be considered In the discus
SION of the prima facie is the certificate held by
Campbell under which they maintain he Is entitled
to be seated. Mr.. Cox it is understood, in common
with majority of the Democrats, holds that the
transcript of election returns filed by Cannon EMU
Ties him to be seated prima facie case
Some of the ablest Republican lavyers-among
whom it is understood are Mr.. Reed chairman OF
the Judiciary Committee, and Mr. Robeson-contend
that Mr. Campbelrs certificate shows its face, IN
the words "being q citizen OF the United States''
that Governor Murray undertook to decide that
Cannon was ineligible-a matter in which he mad
no jurisdiction There are also good many Re
publican members who believe that, even granting
Campbelps certificate to be technically valid, II
would be impracticable to make the country believe
in view of the fact that he received only 1357 votes
while his competitor received 1S 56S votes-that an
uniust ad vantage had not been taken shonld Camp
bell be seated. The Democrats will probably vote SOL
idly against such proposition and it does not seem
at all probable therefore, that Campbell Will be Nd
mitted on his prima face case. The admiss on OF
Cannon appears to be even less probable With the
possible exception of Mr. Beford of Colorado 1t is
said that not single Republican will so vote and
IT iscurrently reported that MT. Randall MI, cassidy
of Nevada, and some other Democrats will 'te
against seating him. 1t altogether likely that
the whole subject will be referred to the Committee
on Elections. and that the result will be report
against the admission of either of the men claiming
TO be Deegates-elect from Utah.
Since the XLIIId Congress, the last one before
the present in which the Republicans controlled the
House of Representatives, the temper Of that
h, ~ has not been so hostile to Mormonlsm
and polygamy as it is now, ana lndeeu'
while not open apologists or defenders OF the pc
culiar institution which fOurishes in Utah, the
Democratic majorrties in the House have carefully
and stndiously ignored the steadily growing evils,
recommendations of the President for additional
LEGISLATION to check and destroy them. Bill after
biIl was offered by Republican members, and all OF
than were smothered in committee. In the
last Congress Mr. Willis. of Michigan, offered
three bills of very great importance,
designed to enforce the sentiment OF the country In
regard to polygamy The bills were referred to the
.Jndiciary Committee of which Mr. Willis was
member and Proctor Knott was the chairman. III
took weeks if not months, for MI Willis to prevail
nnon Mr. Knott to refer the bills to subcommittee,
and he never succeeded getting arepOrt from the
subcommittee.
Tn all those six years of Democratic control, Mr.,
Cannon and his polygamous associates pursued the
even tenor of their way, and not until the Repub-
hcans organized the present Congress did they have
cause for alarm. II the majority OF this House
were Democratic, Mr. Cannon would unquestionably
secure and hold his seat. Now he will certainly
lose il. even if he shall be seated tenn
porarily ; and. besides that, there will be stern
LEGISLATION against polygamy. There are many
,nerobers Of the House who believe that under the
circumstances, Utah Territory is entitled to no
renresentation whatever in Congress member OF
the Judiciary Committee has prepared resolutions
which he proposes to offer, if an opportunity is
afforded IA substitute for the resolution proposed
nv Mr. Haskell and all other resolutions looking to
the seating of any Delegate from Utah. These reso-
lutlons read as follows:
Whereas The Territoryof Utah is controloa oy an
ASSOCIATION known MormoDs, or the LalIer @ Dsy
saints by which society the immoral doctrine ana pfac
tice OF polygamy, the orentalism OF pirsl, MAJ d
rages IL secretly evasvely and openly maintained anu
continued violation OF the Constitution ana IaWh
the United states organized territorial sysIgiM,
IN nsurrectonary defiance Of the legislative executive
and judicial power and suthOrty OF the united otats,
disturbing the peaceful action OF government anu tne
exercise OF the functions Of republican government
thereis and dsquietng the public mlnd ana ouehulns
the public sense OF the United States ana ,-
Whereas, The Territory thus usurpec 10 he