Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-05-28
PORTY-EIGnTR COyGRESS.
First session.
sen ATE.
WAsHiSGroS, Nav q

morning, and groups of Senators congratu-
lated him on his improved health
Several petitions were presented opposin 2
the governments assumption of telegraphic
functions, and praying that systems of med
zeal practice NAV have recognition in public
service. All were appropriately referred
Mr. Lapham submitted a report of the
committee on privileges and elections on the
Danviile investigation.
Mr.. Vance said he would need this week
to prepare minority report.
Mr.. Salisbury submitted the minority re-
port on the Copiah county investigation
The Senate took up the bill granting the
right of way through Yellowstone Park to
the Cinnabar Clark's Fork railroad COM
pany.
Mr.. Conger submitted an amendment lm-
iting the company's control to 100 feet in
width, and prohibiting the erection of build
ings except for stations.
An animated debate followed. most of the
speakers vigorously denouncing the bill.
| Mr.. Logan said he had been lobbied with
more this winter in behalf of this bill BY a
| government official who was in receipt OF
$50, 200 year than he had ever been lobbied
in his life. He denounced this officer severe
ly, but did not name him. The bill finally
went over without action, and the considera-
/ Ni"h VI NhC Chdh Tesuutu
| MIR. Brown contrasted as he termed it, the
polygamy of New England and the polygamy
of Utah. The picture he drew was drawn
more in sorrow than in anger. There had
been over 27,000 divorces granted in New
England in the last 20 years, destroying q, ;,
| 900 families and turning loose "a 900 persons
to marry again, all Illegally, except those
who were divorced for adultery or fornication
IN the other party. Assuming that one-third
of them had been divorced for adultery, il
would leave 5000 persons divorced and mar
ried again who were practising polygamy in
New England, while the Utah commission,
acting under the Edmunds bill, after having
searched Utah with the test oath, could find
but II, 900 who would not awear that they had
never in their lives been guilty of polygamy
Prostitution was practiced in New England
to an alarming extent, and foeticide to such
an extent tnat if it continued it would in less
than a century depopulate New England OF
its Puritan stock. In Massachusetts in less
than 90 years the population had increased
A per cent, marriages 60 per cent, while
divorces had increased l47 per cent. If min.
isters and churches did their whole duty
public sentiment would soon sweep from the
statute books the wicked and immoral divorce
laws.
Mr.. Hoar said he had heard enough of Mr.
| Browns speech to comprehend its character
but not its nature. 1t did not seem possible
that the senator had taken so much pains as
the speech indicated, for the mere purpose OF
making malicious and malignant attack or
the people of New England. He could only
| infer that Mormonism was more in accord
with that senator's convictions than opposed
Each county and section of each county may
have vices, but whatever there was in New
England that was reproach to her was care
fully written down by New England histori-
ans. There were sections OF the country in
which that course was not pursued. If he
| (Hoar) cared to follow the style of the argu.
ments followed by the senator from Georgia
| Brown he could say some things without
even reference to the statistics which would
be sufficiently disagreeable. With desire
to credit that portion of the country from
which that senator came with much pro-
priety as he could, he thought the presence
of the large numbers of mulattoes remained
to be accounted for in some way; but he
would not enter on this sort of an argument,
| Addressing himself to the bill, Mr.. Hoar
took it up by sections and explained the legal
bearings of the several provisions. Those
provisions were entirely constitutional and
necessary to carry out the purposes of the
bill.
| Mr. Hoar here yielded to motion for the
executive session, and the Senate soon after
wards adjourned.