Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-01-18
Ghe Stree press.
WASHINGTON.
A Mississippi Improvement Appropri
alton Passed.

WAsHINGToN, ID. c., Jan. Ex-senator
Cullom addressed the Senate to-day with re-
gard to his bill to reorganize the legislative
power Of Utah. He said the government of
Utah in form and spirit is at war with every
principle of Republicanism. The people are
taught by the priests to hate the United
States government. There is not a single
the Mormon church or persons belonging to
it. The Mormons had the balance of polit-
ical power in Arizona, Idaho and perhaps
Wyoming in addition to their strength in
Utah. If not checked they will soon con-
troll five or six States and territories West of
the Mississippi river. Senator Chllom urged
the constitutionality of his bill, claiming that
the first thing to do was to take from the
Mormons all legislative power and place it
in the hands of nine persons to be appointed
by the President.
Senator Brown opposed the bill on the
ground of its unconstitutionality, although
he said he would like to see something done
to suppress polygamy. Referring to the
question of the right of Congress to destroy
the territorial government, Mr.. Brown said
that if Congress could do 1t in one territory
it could in all the territories and if the new
condition thus created could last one
year it could last 100 years. and there was
therefore nothing to prevent Congress from
making those territories satrapies or prov
inces, to be plundered at will by the men in
power. II Congress proposed to stamp out
one religious sect, might it not when that
was done begin on another sect, and so crush
out the spirit of religious liberty. The
Christian church was the true medium to
deal with the Mormon question. Without
excusng polygamy, Mr.. Brown animadvert-
ed severely upon the laxity of morals pre-
vailing in the country outside Utah, and
thought much of the effort expended upon
that territory might well be directed to social
evils nearer home.
Senator Garland had always thought the
Edmunds bill for the Utah trouble very
much like prescribing corn plaster for
consumption He hoped the right remedy
would be found
The Senate adopted the new rules.
Under instructions of the committee on
improvement of the Mississippi river Senator
Van Wyck introduced q bill which was
passed approprating 81 100000 to continue
the improvements already begun by the
Mississippi river improvement commission.
Senator Mitchell presented a petition from
citizens of Philadelphia asking the protection
of all citizens IN the right to vote. This
petition, Mr. Mitchell said, had come to him
with letter from Susan B. Anthony which
he would attach to the petition.
Senator Edmunds introduced bill for the
relief of the survivors of the jeanette expe-
dition and the heirs of deceased members
1t authorizes the secretary of the treasury
to pay Chief Engineer Melville and Lieut..
Danenhower $1,000 each Raymond l..
Newcomb, John Cole, w. T. c. Nlnder-
mann and james II. Bartlett, 5000 EACH and
to the remaining survivors $500 also the
payment of a sum equal to years salary of
each of the deceased members of the expedi-
ton and crew to their heirs. The bill was
prepared at the navy department.
Senator Call introduced q bill requiring the
postmaster general to establish postal saw
ings banks at all postof11ces where the re-
celpts amount to $1,000 annually also bill
for the establishment of University of
medicine at Washington for the advance
ment of the science and the discovery Of
improved methods of treatment of dis
case, and appropriating 100000 as per-
petual endowment.
The House judiciary committee appointed
the following subcommittee to-day
Bankruptcy, Moulton, Cuberson, Collins
McCord and Bisbee female suffrage, May
bury, Poland, Tucker; bgamy, etc, Tuck
or, Mouon and Bisbee; civil rights, Broad
head, Dorsheimer Seney, Taylor and
Browne; modification of the veto power of
the President, Dorsheimer, Maybury.
Brown, Poland and Tucker; presidential
succession, McCoid, Broadhead. Collins,
Reed and Tucker.