THE LATTER- DAY SAINTS.
Mr. UNDERWOOD. I have also a petition from the President, I believe he styles himself, of the Mormon Church of Latter- day Saints, together with the twelve apostles. They present very grievous complaints against their brethren of Dese-
ret, and charge that the Mormons about Coun-cil Bluffs, who have possession of that region of district, and control the post-office, obstruct the free circulation of information through their papers, by which they are prevented from enlightening that sect, and spreading useful information among them. They wish the interposition of Congress, and particularly the Post-Office Department, and that free information may be circulated among their brethren. [The petition was sent to the Secretary's desk.] It is a petition from Isaac Sheen, who repre-sents himself as first counsellor to the prophet, Wm. Smith, and president of the Aaronic priest-hood of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, together with two apostles and some twelve high-priests, urging very grave complaints against their brother Mormons, whom they designate as the Salt-Lake Mormon banditti. These people set forth that Council Bluffs is principally settled by Salt-Lake Mormons, who are governed in political as well as spiritual affairs by the secret lodge of fifty men, that also rules the Salt Lake territory, and by Brigham Young, their governor, president, prophet, seer, revelator, and inquisitorial chief. They assert that these people obstruct the receipt of the reli-gious newspaper called the “Melchisedek and Aaronic Herald," and letters to their friends and relations in that quarter, and implore the protection of Congress from the tyranny, injustice, and po-litical intrigues of the Salt-Lake banditti, and in-sist that the treasonable acts and designs of the Salt-Lake combination are sufficient, not only to show the impropriety of admitting Deseret into the Union, but also to convince the Government that no Salt- Lake Mormon should be allowed to hold any office, either at the Salt-Lake valley or Coun-cil Bluffs. They charge them also with having commenced a warfare against the liberty of speech and of the press, and against the religious rights of American citizens who do not acknowledge their supremacy.
The memorial was referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.
