Year: 1879

| heir Subjects to Come


as Mormons.


| New York, Aug "a dispatch
from Washington to the Herald says
that the Mormon question, like great
many other of our political and social
questions, has risen to international
Importance. A letter prepared by the
secretary of state, protesting against
the conduct of the governments of
Great Britain, Germany, Norway,
Sweden and Denmark in continuing to
allow their subjects to leave for the
| United States as Mormon emigrants.
was read at the cabinet meeting to-day
and copies sent by to-night's mail to
our diplomatic representatives in those
countries. The letter, it is understood,
is an energetic presentation of the
views of the administration on the
Mormon question, and determination
on its part to make the institution of
polygamy as odious as possible under
the existing laws. 1t begins by setting
forth that under our statutes bigamy is
crime in any of the territories of the
United States and that men and women
destined for Utah, go there with the
intention and for the avowed purpose
of violating this law. The letter then
recites that by an act of July 1st, '62,
every person having husband or wife
living, who marries another, whether
married or single, in territory or
other place over which the United
States have exclusive jurisdiction, is
guilty of bigamy and shall be punished
by fine of not more than $1,000 and
by Imprisonment for term of not
more than five years, and that un der
this law, which has been declared by the
United States supreme court upon the
test case of George Reynolds, citizen
of Utah and a member of the Mormon
church, was convicted of bigamy and is
now serving a sentence of two years in
the Utah penitentiary; and further,
that it is the purpose of this govern
ment to prosecute every person in that
territory against whom evidence can be
| obtained of the violation of this law.
Our ministers are instructed to lay a
copy of this letter before the govern
nents to which they are accredited,
without delay, and to represent in the
most friendly manner, to those govern
ments, that it would therefore be an
act of justice toward their subjects if
the latter could be dissuaded from ac-
cepting inducements held out by mer-
cenary agents of the Mormon chuch to
settle in Utah.


Reference is next made to the exist
ing obligations on the part of the gov
ernments of these countries not to al
low persons to depart from their juris-
diction for the United States who are
known to have criminal intentions, and
further explaining that all who come to
this coutry for the purpose of afiiliating
with the Mormon church do so with
the avowed intention of becoming GRIM
inals and subjecting themselves to the
penalties of the criminal laws. There
fore the United States will consider it
a friendly act on the part of the gov
ernments of these nations if they will
also regard the matter in this light.
| The attention is called to the large
number of women who are induced to
become emigrant5, and who therefore
aid and abet the crime of bigamy, and
the principles of the Mormon church,
which requires a plurality of wives.
Our ministers are instructed to call
upon our consuls in those countries
without delay, to assist them in giving
information as to the manner in which
the ranks of the Mormon church are
recruited, and to forward the informa-
tion as speedily as possible to Wash
ington.


A member of the cabinet said to-
night that the administration did not
now consider Mormon emigrants as any
more entitled to respect than so many
persons who had been convicted of fell
ony, and that the purpose of sending
the letter is to caution the people of
foreign countries where this class of
emigrants is mostly made up, and to
warn them what they may expect if
they go to Utah.


g If this friendly request of the gov
ernment is disregarded," then con-
tinued the cabinet officer, 'we will be
in a position where we can refuse their
entrance into our ports, and forbid ves-
sells landing them. 1t is hardly posi-
BILE our consuls will not be able to as
certain every attempt that is made to
ship this class of people to the United
States, and the administration recog-
nizes the responsibility of the duty
which the law imposes upon it to pre-
vent the lawless people from landing on
our territory"


Alfonso's Narrow Escape.


4 Madrid, Aug. 9.-Full accounts OF
the accident to King Alfonso on his


way from Escurial to LaGranja, while


returning from the funeral of his sister,
Marie DelPilar, show that he and the
Princess of Asturias had an exceeding.


ly narrow escape. The axle of the car


riage broke while passing a precipice.
Q,l,a ,,,ot ilinp cont rivad tn swprya the