FROM UTAH.
Condition of Affairs in the Territory—Mor-mon Movements—The Overland Mail from California.
From Our Own Correspondent.
GREAT SALT LAKE CITY, U. T.,
Saturday, Oct. 2,1858.
We witnessed, a few days since, a beautiful in-stance, illustrative of the peaceful, saintly sentiments of love and affection which characterize the Mormons and their own "peculiar institution." A Mormon, named HURST, was engaged in abusing his own wife in the public street, using towards her the most outrage-ous and indecent language, and forbidding her from ever entering his house again. Upon inquiry we have obtained the following particulars of the case: It appears, that upon the arrival, a few weeks ago, of Mrs. DOTSON—the wife of the United States Marshal of the Territory, Mrs. HURST, who was an old ac-quaintance of Mr. and Mrs. DOTSON, came and assisted them in cleaning and fitting up their new residence. Several years previous Mrs. HURST had adopted an infant son of Mrs. DOTSON'S, (she was a widow with three children at the time Mr. D. married her,) and upon this day had taken the opportunity of bring-ing the little boy to see his mother. HURST, finding it out, became enraged at his wife for doing so, and, meeting her in the street, as she was returning home, assailed her with oppro-brious epithets, insulted her in every manner for hav-ing associated with "Gentiles," and finally forbade her ever entering his house again under penalty of being kicked out of doors. He then attempted to get posses-sion of the little boy, but Mr. DOTSON, hearing of the circumstances, came and took the woman and child under his protection. The same evening he came to Mr. D., accompanied by some policemen, and again attempted, unsuccessfully, to take away this, Mrs. DOTSON'S own child. HURST has a "spiritual," or second wife, besides his first wife. Mrs. HURST is a kind, quiet, well-disposed woman, and the only rea-son which can be assigned for this outrageous con-duct of her husband towards her is, that he was coun-seled by the Bishop last Sunday not to allow his wife to assist or associate with "Gentiles."
Ward meetings were held last Sunday evening by the Mormons in the different Wards of the city, for the purpose of discussing the policy which they are to pursue towards the "Gentiles" now in the city. No women were allowed to be present at these meet-ings, as it was designed that the proceedings should be kept secret.
An interesting case of habeas corpus was tried be-fore Judge C. E. SINCLAIR, of this District, on Wed-nesday last. It was on a petition from F. E. MCNEILL, imprisoned for refusing to pay the costs of a trial be-fore the Mayor of the city. MCNEILL was, in the first place, fined by the Mayor $50 and costs and sentenced to three months' imprisonment for getting drunk and disturbing the peace. In consequence of the severity of this punishment, Governor CUMMING pardoned him, on condition that he should pay the fine. The Mayor, however, insisted upon the payment of the costs—which had been taxed at the enormous sum of $81—besides the fine, and upon MCNEILL'S refus-ing to, pay them, imprisoned him. After an ex-amination of the case, Judge SINCLAIR ordered that MCNEILL should be released from con-finement upon payment of the fine of $50, as there was no law or authority establishing the rates of fees or authorizing the taxing of costs in any Court of the Territory. This fact has been repeatedly pointed out to members of the Legislature for several years past, but they have always refused to pass any law on the subject. They found it to be too convenient a mode of swindling and reducing to poverty all whom they wished to oppress. Repeated instances have been made public of the manner in which apostates about to leave the Territory have been arrested upon some unfounded charge, and nearly all that they possessed taken away from them in payment of some extrava-gant bill of costs drawn up for this purpose.
This very case upon which the Judge has made this important decision, was an instance of the manner in which, without license, they imposed upon all who fell into their clutches $81 costs in a trial before a justice of the peace, in which but one or two witness-es were examined, and which lasted but a few hours! Under this decision none of the Territorial officers can collect fees for their services until the Legisla-ture passes a law authorizing and regulating the col-lection of fees by them.
We visited, yesterday, the Temple Block, and found that we were mistaken in reporting a few weeks ago that workmen were engaged in rebuilding the public workshops of the Church. Instead of re-building, they are tearing down and taking to pieces what remained of them. The large Tabernacle, or meeting-house, still remains closed, with windows and doors nailed and boarded up.
No better illustration of the true character of Mor-monism could be given than this fact, that the Mor-mons have given up all that there is in their religion at all devotional; that they refuse to pay any public devotion or homage to their Creator, and that they continually desecrate the Sabbath. Relying implicit-ly upon their idol BRIGHAM, they place him high above their Creator, and obey his mandates rather than those of God.
It is not generally known that the Mormons invari-ably address each other as brother or sister, and so strong is this habit with them that they will sometimes "brother" a Gentile. It sounds queer to a stranger, to hear little infants who can hardly talk speak of old men or women as brother or sister so and so.
The only regular gambling establishment in the city closed during the past week, for want of pat-ronage.
The police force has been so arranged, at the sug-gestion of Gentiles, that there are but few on at once, instead of the great crowd of stars, who at first stuck themselves anywhere and everywhere. The order of the city remains excellent.
The California mail arrived here on Thursday evening, through in twelve days from Placerville, bringing us dates from San Francisco to the 16th inst.
We forward you a copy of the Alta, of this date, in order that you may compare the time of its arrival in New-York with that of the papers of the 14th inst., sent from San Francisco by the Southern overland route via Memphis.
The schedule time by our great Central Route, is forty days from the Missouri River to the Sacramento. It can, however, be easily accomplished in twenty-five days, and we regret that the President neglected to sign the bill making this the schedule time.
The mail party met Dr. FORNEY, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and Agent DODGE, on the Humboldt River, some 60 miles below the point at which the road strikes it.
They had met two bands of the Shoshonees, or Snakes, both of which professed great friendship for the whites, and denied all participation in or knowl-edge of the attack upon the mail party some weeks since. Dr. F. expected to meet, in a day or two, a large encampment of Indians, who have been hover-ing about the road waiting for him, to the great annoy-ance of the emigration and mail parties. The In-dians are all afraid of the troops now on the road.
A. B. C.
