Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-01-08
CONGRESSIONAL.
Proceedings of the Senate
and House.
DEBATE ON THE UTAH BILL
An Additional Justice for New Mex.
ico-A Number Of Bills of I'm
portance to the West.
Special TO the neraia sD eA,.oeialsd rre.,.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON, January The ChaiI
laid before the Senate letter from the
Secretary Of War transmitting petition
from the West Point students who are to
be graduated in June. 1886, praying that
provision may be made for their appoint
ment to the army. Referred to Com
mittee on Military Affairs.
Dolph, from the Committee on Com.
merce. reported favorably the bill extend
ing to the city of Portland. Ogn.. the
provisions of the law Of 1870, relating TO
the immediate transportation Of dutiable
goods. Also similar bills relating to
Omaha, Neb., and Port Townsend, w.
T. The bills, on Dolph's motion, were
at once passed.
Voorhees, offered as substitute for
the resolution recently offered by his
colleague, one reciting in its preamble
that the Commissioner of Pensions In
his annual report had stated that at one
time the Pension Bureau was all but an
avowed political machine. filed with un.
compromising adhersnts of single or
ganization, tmeaning the Republican
party) and that claimants were often re-
quired to support the Republican party
as consideration upon which pensions
should issue. The resolution instructs
the Committee on Expenditures of Pub.
lie Money to inquire into the truth Of
these allegations, and confsrs the power
to send for person and papers.
Logan had nothing to say against the
Commissioner of Pensions, whom he re-
spected highly. but ne wished the reso-
tuition enlarged so as to include an inves-
llgation of the present administration Of
the Office. He said that Col. Fred.
Stevenson, gallant wounded SOL
dier. had been removed from
this position at the head of division OF
the office, at the demand of q Demo
cratic member of Congress. No charge
had been made against him. and the
only reason known for his removal was
that he had supported the Independent
candidate for Congress in opposition to
the man who had been removed. voor-
hees accepted the amendment offered by
Logan. The resolution went over for
one day.
At two O'Clock the Utah bill came up,
and Senator Morgan addressed the SEN
ate npon it. He spoke in support Of m
offered by him, providing
for the disposal Of the property of the
Mormon Church according to the rules
and principles Of common law, as in the
case Of the dissolution of corporation.
He felt, he said. that we ought to strike
the Mormon Church organization out Of
existence. 1t was q shrewd temporal
organization; that 1t had gained SO much
power in its emigrant arrange
ments, its tithing capacity, its
money and generally in its organizing
yigor. 1t had been the wonder Of our
time. Instead of appointing Trustees
for the management Of temporal matters,
Congress should cut up the organization
at the root and branch. Mr.. Call did
not believe that Congress had right to
destroy religious establishment. The
Mormons practice polygamy. Unholy
though II was, IL did not authorize rs
to violate the Constitution Of the United
States by iogisIating in regard to an es-
tablishment Of public use. Referring to
Edmunds' point, that it was not the re.
ligious, but the temporal concerns OF the
Church that were to be administered by
the Trustees provided by the bill. Mr..
Call inquired what would be the right Of
Congress if it should undertake
to administer by Trustees or
otherwise. the property and tenn
poral affairs OF, tor example.
the Roman Catholic Church. He read
from early Puritan laws to show that in
the seventeenth century the Quakers
were denominated "a damnable acct, i"
and that all persons who encouraged
their entry into the country were sub
jeet to fine Of one hundred pounds as
well as imprisonment. The Christian
sentiment Of the country and the ordi-
nary law enforced were amply sufficient
for dealing with polygamy. He there.
fore opposed the bill.
Edmunds said the bill would not affect
the religious affairs Of the Mormons. 1t
would only affect the temporal arrange
ments of the Mormon Church 90 far as
these arrangements contributed to the
United States regarded as a crime.
Mr.. Morgan did not feel that we are
dealing with an establishment Of relig-
ion. 1t might pass as 3 religion in
China or the valley Of the Congo. Here
il was an establishment, not of religion,
but Of vice. The sentiment of the
whole people of the United States was
against it. 1t was an establishment op-
posed to the spirit of our national con-
stitution.
Considerable debate ensued as to the
legal effect of the provisions relating to
the testimony to be given by husbands
and wives, and some amendments of
the detail were made, but Mr.. Morgan's 5
amendment was lost, as also were some
amendments offered by Mr.. Brown, that
certain portions Of the act should apply
equally to the Gentiles and Mormons.
Mr.. Edmunds exclaimed soto voce,
"Oh, don't put any srsh provision as
that into the statutes OF the United
States" [Laughterl Mr.. Edmunds
said the laws of the United States ap-
piled to everybody in the United States.
Mr.. Voorhees, sent TO the desk and
had the Clerk read kilograms from Salt
Lake City which he said, in justice to
the Utah Commissioners, ought to be
read. II was dispatch from Mr.. A. s.
Paddock. saying; ivan Wyok is mis-
taken about the clerks of the Commits.
sion. The average permanent clerks
from beginning to date do not exceed
three, possibly four, including tempo.
rary clerk. Only one clerk Is now EN-.
ployed."
Mr.. Van Wyck thought il extraordin-
ary that the Commissioner did not have
as many clerks as it had. He did not
like that expression. three, possibly
four." Perhaps. If they employed an
other clerk they could probably find out
exactly how many clerks they had.
[Laughter.l Taking into account the
distance, and allowing for mistakes OF
the telegraph. he guessed il would turn
out, after all, that they had about the
number OF clerks he had stated, viz,
six. [Great laughter
Without concluding the consideration
VI the bill the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
The call of States was resumed and
tuO IultuWiuk bttiS aiAA ioootttAoAt1 tAeto-
duced and referred:
By Goff, Of West Virginia, to repeal
the internal revenue tax on tobacco.
By Caswell, Of Wisconsin, to levy a
tax on oleomargarine and collect the
same through the internal revenue
bureau.
BY Bean, of Arizona. calling on the
Secretary of the Interior for copies Of
the correspondence between his depart.
ment and the Governor Of Arizona on
Indian matters.
By Clifford, of Dskota. for the admis-
sion of the State of Dakota.
Also, for the appointment Of two addi.
tionL Justices Of the Supreme Court Of
Dakota.
Speaker Carlise this afternoon an
uounced the names OF the Chairmen Of
following House Committees; Elections.
Turner, Georgia; Appropriation, Ran.
dali, Pennsylvania; Ways and Means,
Morrison; Naval Affairs, Herbert, Ala.
bama; Military Affairs, Bragg. Wi,con-
sin; Foreign Affairs. Belmont, New
York; Banking and Currency, Cuitin,
Pennsylvania; Coinage, Weights and
Maaaurae Rland Missouri. Rivers and