June 1876


1 June 1876 • Thursday

At the House. President Brigham Young’s birthday. He is 75 years old. My prayer is that he may live for very many years yet.

2 June 1876 • Friday

At the House.

3 June 1876 • Saturday

At the House. A sultry day

4 June 1876 • Sunday

A sultry forenoon. Stormed. Cooler in evening. Attended to Sunday duties.

5 June 1876 • Monday

Called at Departments. Busy at the House. A most exciting day. Mr. Blaine occupied most of the afternoon on a question of the highest privilege. He was very bold and audacious.

Sister Cannon is quite ill to-day with cold.

Bro. Milner has been absent at the Centennial for a few days. He came back sick to-day.

6 June 1876 •Tuesday

At the House. Had quite a free talk with Mr. Wigginton of Cal. respecting the Bill to regulate elections in Utah Ter. now before the Com. on Territories. He was disposed to be severe at the commencement of the conversation; but he became very mellow before I left him, and disclaimed all intention of having special legislation for Utah, and especially for polygamy. He wanted a general law. Bro. Milner talks of leaving for home to-morrow. Sister Cannon is quite unwell still.

7 June 1876 • Wednesday

I let Bro. Milner have the money necessary to pay all his expenses of board, leaving it to him to state what amount he wished for this purpose. I settled through my wife for his lodging and washing. I find upon reckoning up that I have paid out on his account for various expenses $243 40/100. He had a draft of $100 00/100 sent to him. I told him to keep that intact, and not to pay any of that out for living expenses. I gave him a first class ticket from Chicago to Council Bluffs and loaned him $20, which he was to send to me here or to pay at home for me to Bro. Jack. He started this evening for home.

I was at the House.

8 June 1876 • Thursday

At the House. Mr. Blaine made things lively again to-day as will be seen by Congressional Record.

9 June 1876 • Friday

At the House. The scenes in the House to-day were most disgraceful, Worse I think than I ever saw before. Mr. Blaine was the principal actor. Bro. <N.> Groesbeck arrived here from home.

10 June 1876 • Saturday

At the House. Went round with Bro. Groesbeck to see various places of interest. Bro. Junius F. Wells arrived to-day. I showed him through the Capitol. Arranged for a bed in the house for Bro. Wells, (and would have done so for Bro. Groesbeck, but he said he had a place that suited him) and he ate with us.

11 June 1876 • Sunday

We all went out to the Soldiers’ Home. Attended to Sacrament.

Mr. Blaine had an attack which rendered him unconscious for four hours to-day. The news created great excitement in the city.

12 June 1876 • Monday

Took Bro’s. Groesbeck and Wells through the Treasury Dep’t. At the House. Mr. Wigginton of Cal. member of the Com. on Territories reported back from that Com. a general bill to regulate elections in the Territories. Contrary to what he said to me in our last conversation he had advocated the retention of the section against polygamy in the Bill.

13 June 1876 • Tuesday

Took the folks – Bro’s Groesbeck and Wells and my wife and Mary Alice – to the Mount Vernon steamboat, the Arrow. They spent the day in going to and from <and at> Mount Vernon, the old home of Washington. The House agreed to-day to devote to-day and to-morrow to general debate on the Army Bill, no other business to be transacted.

14 June 1876 • Wednesday

Excitement over the Cincinnati convention

15 June 1876 • Thursday

The same as yesterday.

16 June 1876 • Friday

The same as yesterday.

17 June 1876 • Saturday

Republicans congratulate themselves on nomination of Hayes and Wheeler

18 June 1876 • Sunday

Attended to usual duties

19 June 1876 • Monday

At the House. Bro. J. F Wells went to Annapolis to see Bro. Feramorz L. Young.

Bro. & Sis Shipp arrived from Philadelphia.

20 June 1876 • Tuesday

Took <up> Sundry Civil Appropriation Bill.

Bro. Wells returned from Annapolis. Bro. Young had been asked by him for me if I could send Sis. C. and Mary Alice home with him, to which he assented, and was to telegraph from Philadelphia when he would start.

Bro. & Sis. Shipp went with Sister Cannon and Mary Alice to Mount Vernon.

21 June 1876 • Wednesday

At work at same bill. Had night session till 11.30 p.m.

Bro. N. Groesbeck started for Philadelphia to-day.

Took Bro. & Sis. Shipp and Junius to White House and Treasury Dept

22 June 1876 • Thursday

Met at 11 on the same bill; also had night session till 11.10 p.m. Bro. Junius Wells started for Harrisburg to meet Bro. F. L. Young. He left in great hurry and had scarcely time to reach the train. The telegram came too late to admit of Sis. C. and Mary Alice going

23 June 1876 • Friday

Met at 11, continued on Sundry Civil Appropriation Bill. Took a recess at about 5.15 p.m. Met at 8 p.m. and kept in recess until 2.30 a.m. Saturday morn. when the Bill was finished. The Delegates were on their mettle. Patterson of Col. made a very sharp, telling but very indiscreet speech. Maginnis of Montana made some telling points. I succeeded without a speech in getting the amount for clerk hire in Surveyor Gen’s office increased $600, which considering the temper of the Com. and the failure of so many to get amendments, was quite remarkable.

24 June 1876 • Saturday

Rested well while in bed. Went to the House. Did nothing but elect Mr. Milton S. Sayler of Ohio to be speaker pro tem. Took Sis. C and Mary Alice to hear Marine Band in Pres. grounds

25 June 1876 • Sunday

Hoole i ke ai [I fasted] and wrote two editorials for the Juvenile Instructor. A hot day.

30 June 1876 • Friday

Mr. Randall told me he thought the House would adjourn to-morrow until Wednesday, and that if I wished to go to Philadelphia, I would be perfectly safe in arranging for passage. So I engaged a sleeping section. I thought it would be the best chance we should have to see the Exhibition and we could also witness the celebration of the Fourth of July.

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June 1876, The Journal of George Q. Cannon, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/george-q-cannon/1870s/1876/06-1876