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Show UTAH UNREPRESENTED. The most populous and wealthy of the territories is without representation in Congress. At a time when popular clamor is higher against them than ever before in their unfortunate history; when tremendous pressure is being brought to bear on Congress to enact extraordinary legislation against them, and when they have the greatest need of an advocate in that body to plead their cause and present reasons any rash and ill-considered laws should not be passed against them, they are denied a voice in the national council. On April 19th the Utah contested election case came up in the House, and after a long and exciting debate, the Utah seat was declared vacant. Hon. George Q. Cannon was given an opportunity to address the House, which he did for a short time. His remarks were moderate, dignified and conscientious. They were printed in full in the Congressional Record of April 21st, and are a standing rebuke and testimony against the unconstitutional action of the House by which he was deprived of the seat to which he was so justly entitled. Below is given a synopsis of that portion of the debate in which he participated. WASHINGTON, April 19-The Utah contested election case was resumed in the House. The discussion lasted until 4 o'clock, when the previous question was ordered, and then an hour was conceded Geo. Q. Cannon to present his case. He commented on the fact that Christianity which had been so much vaunted on this floor and which had been held up in contradiction to this system in which he was supposed to believe, had been itself a persecuted religion and its founder been crucified between two thieves. From that day until to-day every man who had stood ?? among his fellow men to declare principles which came in contact with popular ideas, had in almost every instance to lay down his life as proof of the sincerity of his convictions. If one twentieth, part of what had been said in the debate relative to the people of Utah was true, their representatives deserved to be driven from the halls of Congress; but while the flood of false statements had been pouring over the country concerning Utah, not a voice had been heard in defense of her people. He gave a brief sketch of the establishment of the Mormon church in Utah, and coming down to the statement of the last election, asserted that the governor of Utah, having views which he thought would make him popular, had entered into a conspiracy with others to precipitate upon. He country the question as to whether the people of Utah should be represented in Congress. If he had his rights he would have come here with a certificate from the authorities of Utah, signed by the governor. He had been kept out of his seat, bound hand and foot, until the recent action of Congress had passed; and it was now proposed to make it operative as to him, and expel him not by a two-thirds vote, but by a majority vote. He did not envy the feeling of a member who could do such injustice because of the popular clamor against Utah. He asked those gentlemen who said the people of Utah violated the law, whether they would set an example by smiting down law, justice and right, because of the alleged bad character of that people? He would want his hand to lose its cunning, and his tongue to cleave to the roof of his mouth, before he would, in that manner, bear out the corner stone of liberty, the right of a people to representation. He denied that he was there to represent any church or sect, but is a representative of the people of Utah. He then proceeded with an argument in defense of the institution of polygamy, denying that the institution was attributable to licentiousness or that it was necessary that he should have four wives in order to be lecherous. The Mormons believed God had given a command, the object of which was to redeem the human family, to make marriage honorable, ?? it, lift it out of its present condition, cut off the opportunity for prostitution and concubinage, and leave no ?? for lust to prey upon. ?? of Indiana, closed the debate ?? an exhaustive argument in support of the right and power of the House to proscribe qualifications for territorial delegates. Branching off to the discussion of the eradication of polygamy, he declared the plural wives must be forsaken and polygamy must yield ?? the republican party, not to the democratic party, but to the universal voice of the civilized world. (Applause). The vote was then taken on the resolutions of the minority of the elections committee, declaring Cannon elected to a seat. The report was rejected, 79 yeas, 123 nays. This was a party vote with the exception of Beltzhoover, ??, Cobb, Cassidy, Holman, Mosgrave, Murch, Rice, Missouri; Mitson and Turner, Kentucky; who voted in the negative with the republicans and Campbell, Pennsylvania, in the affirmative with the democrats. The majority resolution, declaring neither Cannon nor Campbell entitled to a seat, was adopted without division. Adjourned. It will devolve on the Governor to fix by proclamation, a day for a special election for delegate to Congress, but that election will have to be held under the auspices of the commission, which is not yet appointed. Hence it is likely that Utah will continue unrepresented in Congress during the present session at least. |