Salt Lake City
December 22nd. 1874
Hon. George Q. Cannon:
Washington D.C.
Dear Brother,
Your note to the President was duly forwarded, and now I have to acknowledge a like favor to myself. As regards the Veto it would doubtless have been wiser to not made any mention of it, yet it might not after all escaped the notice of the Federal Ring, yet I can scarcely think that Congress will alter it, at least not until they shall have or think they have some reason for it. It would seem as though the fact of Congress having the power to disannul and the Courts to set aside might prove sufficient guarantee against any very great abuse of the Legislative power of the Territory, or are they fearfull that it will keep all three of the departments busy, as seems to have been the case for the last three or four years. If our enemies do undertake to stir Legislation again this session, there are a few suggestions I would like to make, for instance Judge McKean, has been busy trying our people for illegal voting when they had taken their papers from the Probate Courts years ago, he has lately decided that a conviction in the Probate Court though void in law was a bar to subsequent arraignment and trial and descharged the prisoner under the provisions of the Poland Bill validating the acts of the Probate Courts.
Now that Congress extends this validating clause to naturalizations of aliens or foreigners or what would be better still not only legalise their past acts of this nature but authorise them to grant naturalization papers . It is not a power though vested in the Probate Courts of the Territory that ever has, nor as I see ever can be abused by them, you may think and very properly to that Congress supposed that in validating the acts or Judgments and decrees of those Courts that these acts of theirs was designed to be included and so doubtless they were not, they did not then know that those Judges needed guide boards on each side of their wooden heads in order to make them comprehend a simple provision of law especially when it dont suit them, and if they are anxious to stir up Legislation let Congress restore the jurisdiction of the Territorial attorneys and marshals to serve in all cases arrising under the laws of the Territory as formerly and get out of this everlasting muss about Court expenses, again the U.S. Commissioners appointed by the Federal ring, court should be abolished also the appointment of an unlimited number of United States Marshals as Deputys both of these features have been proven to be, and can not be in the very nature of things otherwise than a perfect nuisance, in fact so long as the parent government keep a set of knavish prejudiced dolts unprincipaled and unscrupulous villians and scoundrels at "Bro Bates" would call them in office, they ought to carefully guard against running against or interfering with local authorities, while acting under local laws you will remember how the Marshals undertook to take possession of the polls in this City at the last August Election and undertook to drag in an old law made for rebellion or reconstruction or some other case as wholly inapplicable yet the cock eyed commissioner, United States commissioner I should say gravely justified the Marshals interfering and attacking the Municipal authorities while in the performance of their duties even to nearly raising a riot, which however happened to be nipped in the bud by breaking a few of their heads, and now they appear very willing too drop it so far as prosecutions are concerend, but who can tell but what they will try it on again the very next election, if they do they will most likely get worse used up than before, Congress should remedy these things by putting up some more guide boards, and not continually be sticking their noses and fingers into the private and local affairs of everybody everywhere. The United States government was constituted for more general and important purposes. There used to be a motto many years ago in the congressional globe saying "The world is governed to much" which I allways particularly admired.
As regards our affairs they remain pretty much as when you left, I think there is a possibility of the Governors giving your certificate no notice for taking contest in your case was given until yesterday, and the time set for commencing is the fourth of January, the time expires on the 24th inst; wether or not I am unable to say, but Mr Sutherland thinks it will not if there is any virtue in law.
The local matters of interest of course you get from the papers. Moses Thatcher has returned from his Northern pilgrimage of four hundred miles, which he was induced to take in the winter at the suggestion of United States commissioner Toohy under the penalty of only Twenty thousand dollars bonds, of course nothing was done. Mr Huston hoped that Bro. Thatcher would overlook the affair and not hold him up too scorn in the papers, Bro. Thatcher told him that he was too utterly beneath his contempt, for him to take any further notice of him.
As to those cases of yours in Court I do not think you will be troubled about them this winter, I made this proposition that the first should be Nollepros on the grouds that it was absorbed in the other, and was not Las. Cohab being marriage, and the other to be dismissed on account of the limitation act. we have the promise that to stave off is all that can be done at present owing to outside pressure but will do the best they can.
I guess I had better quit; my health is pretty good. The President's health is much improved, Sister Alice's death was quite a shock so sudden and unexpected, she was exceedingly well preserved at the time of burial considering its being two weeks after death, and traveling so far. Families are all well so far as I know. May God bless and keep you in his holy keeping, and you triumph over all opposing obstacles and opposing foes is my constant prayer in your behalf.
As ever I remain
Your Friend and Brother.
Daniel H Wells