Show THE LATEST ATTEMPT AT legislative ROBBERY THE ane spirit in which utah is assailed by certain members of congress eggeson egged on by the ring of conspirators who are endeavoring to bring about a crisis in this territory is 6 indicated by the movement of senator cullom reported in our washington dispatches he first introduced a resolution calling for a report of the amount due from utah to the united states treasury on account of money advanced for the expenses of the courts this was adopted lie he then introduced a bill to prohibit uit payment to the members and officers of the utah legislature until all the money due to th the united states is reimbursed it has been known from the opening of this session of the legislative le assembly that officials here were desirous af f stopping the salaries of the members and officers but it was also known that they had not the power to accomplish their nefarious purpose the money was duly appropriated by Con congress ress and cannoa cannot be diverted from its ie legitimate purpose except by special act of the same body that appropriated the amount it seems that they have succeeded in getting a measure introduced for the purpose and that they select selected cd cullom a bitter and unreasoning anti mormon I 1 bigot to effect their ends the pie question of the liability of this territory tor for certain amounts anat have haie been paid out of tile the united states treasury and charged up to utah has been several times brought up lu in the U S house of representatives bug buc in every instance it has been decided anat the government could not compel it if the government appoints officers and prescribes their duties and gives the people no voice in the matter the government must pay the bills this is well understood aud and we believe the previous attempts to force an issue on this matter have not proceeded further than the committees to ahou they were referred I 1 it is sprung again at this juncture and in the senate because of the prejudice that exists and the known disposition of the majority ma j arity of the senate ate to pass anything however extraordinary or add andu boj ojust abt which is likely to injure the Nori mormon people the bill is very likely to pass the senate for there Is a vast amount of ignorance in wit body in reference to utah affairs and fcc be arcely any disposition to re receive c eive correct information I 1 but it will meet with bettor bettar scrutiny audi perhaps fairer consideration in the house against any bills which the government may consider it has to present against utah there is an unsettled account of considerably over a million dollars owing too to this Terri territory tor for expenses in repelling indian raids it if the government will settle that little bill perhaps utah might consent to the payment of the comparatively cament sms small amount is held against this thin territory though that is is not b by y any uy means a settled conclusion seeing that the payment of the debt we hold bold against the government would be meeting a just obligation while toe the settlement of the account against utah would not be really proper legally or otherwise but bat whatever may be the conclusion arrived at in the matter of disputed accounts between utah ind and the general government it must be olear to every unprejudiced mind that the attempt to make the members and officers of the legislature pay bills which they did not contract and for which they are in nowise personally responsible is to say the leat alery aery questionable proceeding and ana one that is neither honest nor justifiable under any circumstances those gentlemen were elected to office and have performed the services required of them under the organic act and every other law which relates to their duties their meagre salaries belong to them the they have earned their pay to wiehl withhold toll their money would woul X L be to rob them it would be just as of a thelt as if a number of masons were employed to build a house and their amplo employer er refused to pay them when they had finished their work ou the ground that money was owing to him by some society of which they were members it it is attempted in tile the same spirit as that which bu isug the confiscation of church property it would be the power of might over right it would be confiscation plunder and usurpation what have the officers of the legisla ture to do with paying the debts ot of the territory if there be any they have no voice in the making ot of laws they could do nothing towards voting any territorial funds they are simply servants who have performed their labors and are entitled to their pay there is not tile the ghost of an excuse for de pAving them of their hard earned wages they nave nothing to do with tile the dispute between the treasury department and the territory tor of utah it it the governa government aut had a bill against tile the tertiary terri Terr iAry ory why has it not been presented in le the proper way to be met in a legal manner by explanation from the territorial rial authorities by acknowledgment of the debt and arrangements for its liquidation or hy by producing an all offs offset etor or proving the illegality of the claim the rhe reference made by the governor in his bis insulting message to the assembly was viewed like the rest of his buncombe it was an ebullition of his spleen not a claun claim presented by an authority dhority asto As to the supposed punishment to the legislators because they represent the hated mormons cormons Mor mons that will not accomplish the end desired it is not the first time that a utah legislature has been robbed of its just earnings it is not dot the first time that its mom members have served without payment they cauline can live and flourish without it this pressure will not force them to do anything that they know or believe to be wrong or impolitic and chev will be in a much better position than the thieves who stole the their cirelly pay I 1 or plotted to deprive them of t that it which lawfully morally and justly belongs to them we believe that ultimately the members and off officers leers of this assembly will receive their salaries for the present they may be deprived of their money the trick that has been played upon tipon them is a contemptible one those who have planned it and fouled their fingers with it in this territory are too mean to describe in proper Jan language guage but we think it will not succeed succeed d tile the wrong of it the inconsistency oi of it whatever may be thought about the validity of the claim against utah are too palpable to be smothered by the prejudice against the people ot this territory ve and when the matter ha has been properly investigated the money we believe will be paid while th tha I 1 infamy a of this attempt at robbery will be stamped indelibly on the souls of its authors |