The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-06-19
THE ANTI-PoLYGAMY BILL.


The House Committee Points Out Some OF
Its Objections to the Edmunds Bill aud
Offers Suggestions.
WASHINGTON, June 1.-THE report Of
the House Judiciary Committee on the Ed.
munds Anli-Poygamy bill, which was pre-
scented TO the House yesterday, is very
long document After detailed statement
of the changes made by the committee and
the reasons therefor, the report says; Your
committee has 10 disposition to recommend
any measure to the House which will in
volve the sanctity of any religious faith,
however wrong in their opinion 1t
may be. But the distinction be-
tween overt acts resulting from belief
which the law denOmnates criminal and
the right of opinion and Of wOrshiping God
according to the dictates of conscience was
80 fully stated in the constitutional lamend-
ment as to need no repetition.
1.-THE committee does not hesitate to ex-
press their dissent from the twelfth sec
ton of the Senate bill, the effect of which
would be that the conduct of the
corporate church of Jesus Christ Of
Latter Day Saints would be controlled
by trustees of the church in cOnjunci
ton with the trustees appointed by the
President This union of trustees of the
church and those of the Government can
not be distinguished from union of church
and state and "a law respecting the estab-
lishmenJ Of religion Nor can it be other
than limitation of the free exercise of re.
ligiOn where a majority who control in
matters of faith and discipline are appointed
by the President. This section would re-
semble, if it be not in fact, an establishment
Of the Mormon Church by law, to be con.
trolled by the Government
Your committee recommend an annul-
ment and dissolution of the corporation.
This is clearly public policy, if it can con.
sttutiOnally be done. But can Congress
take away this charter? it is asked. Several
reasons make it plain that it can be done
without any strained construction of author
tiles. Both the charter of the church and
the Emigration Fund Company were null
for lack of power. The acts confirming,
these charters were void for the same rea-
son. 1t is a matter of grave doubt whether
the organic act authorized the original grant
of such charters as these were. The Emf.
grafton Fund Company act trenches upon
the power of Congress as to foreign emigra-
neither delegated to it nor within its au-
thority.
But both laws are unconstitutional, for
it is obvious they give a preference to this
form of religion over every other. A law
which thus discriminates in favor of one
religion over another is in a proper sense a
law respecting the establishment of re-
ligion.' Congress, which possesses all
ioin al th., hau fhe
right to void the acts of its subordinate
agency and assert its own policy. With
this view of the power of Congress, your
committee recommends to cut out by the
roots this church establishment, and the
emigration fund company and its at
tachments, and to authorize a
judicial proceeding through the At
torney General for dealing with
the property rights according to law and
equity In fact, the emigration fund COM
pany is dependent for its being upon the
church. Its officers are all appointed by the
church corporations, and If the latter is dis
solved its parasite can not survive. The
duty of Congress to prevent such all insti-
tuition being established in young State as
means Of promoting its growth to that
stature at which admission TO the Union
VIII US utSlIdOl6 W IIl6 COuully Gail uOJ NC
doubted"
OF the section of bill requiring voters to
take an oath to support the laws the report
says: "None of those who will do the
things prescribed in the oath should vote
for they are not good citizens, and none
but those who will do these things should
esteem the oath hardship as prerequisite
to taking part in the affairs Of the Govern
ment, which must conform to the cOnstitu'
ton and laws of the United States"
In conclusion the report says: "WhilC
the bill as amended deals with public ques
tons with frmness and real purpose o.
curing lasting evils, it does so in entire con
sistency with the constitutional liberties O
the people and with their free right to ex
ercse their religious belief according t
their conscience and only under the re
Sponsibility of each man to the Supreme
Being"
THE IRISH RIOTS.