| Show communicated UN j THE LAWS OF 01 WAH 1 no 2 the act incorporating the church of jesus christ of latter lafter day saints flints passed february ath 1851 under authority of the provisional Govern government aud re enacted by the territorial Legis legislature laure january ath 1853 remained ped a law of the land until july 1st ast 1852 1862 when congress decked it aull nod and void it is id remarked here that it is only in the third section of this act that the subject of marriage is alluded to or in any pr in the published statutes of tile the territory save where rethe the legislature provides for divorces which act simply implies that the parties seeking a divorce nay may have been married somewhere section 21 title 2 of in an act in rc relation ia to crimes and punishments contains a proviso that in case caie a man dian marries a woman he has seduced before judgment upon an indictment is rende rendered red it will constitute a bur against any further proceeding for tile the offense on anse other than is already stated there iano law regulating c marriage upon the statute book boo k congress expressly provides lit in the act annulling ann this territorial law that thai nothing therein shall be construed as applying to religious belief but birt that sove eve y one shall be to worship god goa according to the dictates ot of conscience the act also provida pro m that no church in ray fay territory shall be allowed to acquire real estate to ati an amount axce exceeding edi nr 0 fifty thousand dollars F for or a per period i lod of eleven years congress by I 1 its silence permitted tha law to stand before the country as approve approved d by the government the people of utah were thus led to regard it ag aa right 0 and as one ine of their rights hence when Con congress gresi did infer interfere fere how hov C easy a sy was the fask fasic of chuich leaders to impress upon the z minds of their followers the idea that their right was wao infringed upon by the government and grea greater ter force cot could ild be L given iven to the arguments by reading that paragraph in the organic act which required all laws passed by the territorial legislature Legisla and approve approved by the governor to be forwarded or warded to en M I 1 for approval or rejection by congress anti and that lor for a period of seven years after the territorial legislature had re this act of the pro vi visional s government in fact for a p period j iod of nearly eleven years for tile the first ieso I resolution of the territorial assembly y bearing bt ar late date october 1851 the J act ct of tile the provisional govern ant congress had convened year after year with a knowledge of this law and gave no attention tok asta A a re the chill church cl became immensely rih and his has apparently antl a greater influence with tile the peo pit pie than all the laws congress can enact it may iny appear to those not residents of tile the territory Terri territory tor y a waste of ink nud aud p apor to discuss ti the merits of a Terr territorial itoi aul law col congress gress has dec declared lured null and void in any ill I 1 y other territory y such would r readily 0 ad i ly r bo b the case for the people would abandon ft a 1 law mv which tl abc 43 government declared null and void but in utah a diff different erent spirit or of loyalty exists ta the lc church leaders open operate ite as I 1 under the provisions of tile tho arnandez arn act and leading trien nien from Brigl brigham mm down to the most obscure bishop laugh to scorn r the action of congress and teach people from tr alio lo 10 bowery and tabernacle stands ther shine same sentiment tile the first section or of this act refers to tile incorporation of tile the church the name tic by which it shall be known and coners upon it tile the right to es establish h order and regulate worship and hold and occupy real and personal pera onal bif estate ate without limit tho the main point or of tife th 0 second section is the gratl lg to tile chach the right at a general or special conference to elect ones owe T trustee in trust and not to exe exceed fad twelve trustees who tile the solo sole control of tile the pro property perty 31 ty of said church disposing of it at pleasure plea gure L a arb authorized to rope arty real and personal 1 by y gift donation bequest or in uny tiny manner not incompatible with the principles of f righteousness or the rules of j ce this last hist paragraph is intended to legalize the tithing system in ill practice in the mormon church which re requires quires one tenth ot of the mormons cormons Mor mons herrly gain to be paid into the church treasury the sixth section of the RA which is properly noticed in this connection makes the election of the twelve assistant trustees a consummate farce for it proad provides thai gilld no assistant trustee or trustees shall transact busing in relation to bug selling or otherwise dilapi disposing jig of churba property without the he consent or approval of the trustee in trust of the church ig to cov covier or another r prin rw of that ve bd 0 of the calu church ch h baa andi and clefe earn u ju ALin 1 1 11 1 i IN nr i i iro irola lw an 4 i lid writer is of the opinion that if any other than the head bead of the church were elected trustee in ti fiust mor jor ino monism nisin would be rent in twain brigham us ag head bead or of the churell church has ever been the trustee in trust under authority of this act ile he now holds that position by reason of this act tit the law makers have thus far refused to abandon it notwithstanding the annulling aun ann action of congress the third section claims among other rights ri glita that of 1 solemnizing solemn izing mar marriage ringe compa table with the revelations of jesus achl chiat ait it is necessary to understand what the church considers tie cevela bionti of jesus christ and M haw revelations ch elat ions tons are obtained in ill order to understand the full force of this paragraph briefly then the church claims to have received froni from god through the presidency a revelation ion concer concerning aing 13 celestial marriage 11 brittain Brig Brif tain Tiam chims thai tilis this revelation came ardin smith the first prophet and lie he Br brigham ighani published it to the world in 1852 nane amne years after smith claims to have received it this revelation cone concerning arning celestial marriage is in plain word mordka ka document authorizing polygamy and permuting permitting a mah man ty to keep as many wom women en as he aa chooses boses to support the mormons cormons accept the state made that brigham received the revelation from joseph and that tile the latter received it direct from god hence it is iri regarded a the revelation of christ and the tha civil law under discussion recognizes the right of tile the church to solemnize e marriage in accordance therewith or 01 in other words the territorial law prior to the annulling ann action of congress recognized I 1 legal legalized i zed I 1 und in I 1 prot protected e c t the institution of polygamy T the h 0 s section c e further declares that this supports virtue and increases morality and is not incomputable with or re repugnant to the constitution of the united states and is founded in the revelations elat ions of the lard the fourth and fifth s sections C c tj on S or of the act are unimportant notwithstanding the disapproval of congress this act so far as the mornion mormon people are concerned is in full force they are taught to regard the authority au authority thorit y or of ther the chereb as superior to all other oabe r and that all 11 counsels 21 riven given them b by Y church autho authority vity are ferel from god brahan and all his j leading followers spit upon tiro action accio of congress and openly defy the government Govern meat b by y taking women into their holds whenever V lit n cvar they so ami marrying L them under the provisions of this thia ae act t so open was their cop contempt tempt for ar the national la law that governor harding arding II paid aid in his bis message of aj 1 1 I am aware that there is a prevailing opinion here that said act of o f coiler congress L ess is tiit tilt ional and therefore it is recommended by these ahse higle high in authority that no regard whatever I 1 should be paid pa id to the game and still stil I 1 more to be regretted if 1 I am 1111 rightly informed in some instances it has boon boen recommended that abat it be openly disregarded disregard d a and d c fled werely merely tode fy the sabinc tn in the spring of 1863 brigham was wa arrested by tho united states marshal on a warrant chai charng gring flim with faviola a violation of the anti poleg polygamy tilly act of congress aless lie he gave 2000 bonds for his bis appearance buforo tile the united states court the grand jul jurchen Jury y alien hen convened had tile case together tog itar with wilb the law upon the subject laid before it ft by the court but utterly y failed to take any notice of it this grand jury was composed e exclusively x clu ch of church churan leaders a and el of the number the writer observed observe ii the names of two of the twelve apostles y and the lie then editor of the deseret Deser ct belos violation of the act of C congress engrem proved irr in before judge drake in in my may and violat violations fons of the law are now a as common as apples in the apple season and known to every man and women n in the territory Terri territory tor y ind and yet tile the 4 atme men who lima ilyus defy the law of con al arres s whine about the elder born not being 0 admit admitted tei to the privileges legeti of a state government 4 ja there are now at camp union sacramento nearly troops of thern them belonging to the second regiment of california volunteers col edward il mcgarry leGarry is fig in ill co command minand at this post ralie vernon house in aa sacramento ca r is occupied jy by a tron atron JB detachment of the pro 08 Sti ard ex I 1 AW N placer diggings of or great 1 richness iciline a i a are ie I e saia to ha v e aben discovered disco 1 recently ecel tT y ih 1 layford lay y fo fori ai nevada the miner s at t the mohib moat haf of rold gold canon ale ae sid said to bam W making aing eyo elIcA |
