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Show and upholds in violation of the statute of the United Suites, approved July 1, 1862, above quoted. Report of the Minority. Special Di(tmtch to the ChicaKo Tribune. Washington, D. C, Jan. 22. Such excuses as tho constitutional lawyers can find (or permitting tho Mormon eider, Cannon, to retain his seat, aro set forth in the report of the minority of the election committee, an analysis of which follows. It is not as ablo or us comprehensive as tho minority report re-port of last year in this case. It is presumed to contain more tenable pomls. The majority oi the commit- i tee aro earnest v m funr nfmilinn L Cannon hitherto has been able to te-t te-t cure the support of the ablest lawyers on the democratic aide, and of some i on tho republican. There is not as much enthusiasm upon tiie subject of 3 denouncing polygamy by ejecting Cannon, us thero would be if he was not 1 ALREADY KB -ELECT ED 1 to tho next house, where the democratic demo-cratic majority will be very certain to let him remain. The Report recom- . mends that the committsti be discharged dis-charged from the further cnnsiderV ' turn of tha subject. The paper goes at length into a statement of the re- i lations of the delegate to the house and argues that he has all the right and privileges of a member. Neither 1 a member nor a delegate should be a expelled oxcept for a good cause, and then by a two-thirds vote of the house . it is contended that he should not bo expelled for political reasons, or on p account of tho existence of certain 81 practices in the territory ho represents repre-sents Knr -1,A1,I 1.- 1,- lor alleged indulgences in such practices, prac-tices, except alter trial in a court of justice. Mormonism had ils seat in Utah territory when it was organized as a territory. The United Slates accepted it with its Mormonism and I polygamous practices. Governors and other temporal officers had been appointed by the president, and con-nrmed con-nrmed by the senate, and delegates to represent that people had been suc- t cessively admitted to congress. But it is charged against Mr. Cannon that ho is the first do'.egate who has been ACTUALLY GUILTY OF POLYOAMOUH PRACTICES. . Admitting this to be a fact, if it is intended to strike a blow at Mormon-jam, Mormon-jam, it is not good policy to strike the blow in this way, and by expelling a delegate. The fact that the house 1 has repeatedly admitted delegates representing Mormonism should re- , heve Mr. Cannon from expulsion As to the charge that Mr. Cannon 1 had married his fourth wife subao- fl quent to the passage of the act of a July, 1SU2, which declared polygamy a felony, the minority say it goes for naught, because Mr. Cannon has not been convicted either under that act or under what is known as the Poland law of last session. The house n should not convict him in advance of the action of the courts. The house , doubtles has b( THE POWER TO EXPEL ARBITRAHILy,. but it would be safer to follow the f-Enghah f-Enghah precedent and await a trial before expulsion. fo The report also set forth the fact pi that Mr. Cannon is now under indict- in ment in the courts of Utah for poly- . gamy, and contends that it would be DE anactofgreatinjuBtice to prejudice tri the case. Besides, it is a serious ar question whether the subject of expulsion ex-pulsion on moral or immoral grounds r, anould bo entertained. Mr. Harmon puts the very pertinenent question. If the house is to inquire into the moral htnees of members, where will the inquiry in-quiry stop ? This report is argued only by Mr. Harrison. Four other members of the committee, Messrs. Speer, Lamar, Crosslandand Thomas, concur in the recommendation that the committee be discharged from further consideration of the subject, in that fully indorsing all of Mr. Harmon's Har-mon's views. |