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Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 517, 17 October 1857, Page 5

The last accounts from the Mormon settlement are ominous of coming troubles. The New York correspondent of the ' Times' says— " Governor Drummond has arrived in Washington from Utah, and with him have come letters to the New York journals from, to use an Americanism, ' reliable sources.' They picture a despotism compared with which John of Leyden standing over Fides with a drawn dagger is an amiable gentleman. The general outlines of the picture have reached us before, and here we have the filling up. The correspondent of the ' Daily Times' tells us of a Federal Court terminated with the bowie-knife and the revolver; of a Mormon prosecuting officer entering nolle prosequis against Mormon murderers of Gentiles; of a^Federal judge intimidated by pistols placed at his head and dirks at his throat while sitting on the bench; and of what they call in Kentucky a 'free fight' within the bar, while those exciting amusements were going on upon the bench. The correspondent of the 'Tribune' deals more in social matters. He tells how he heard a Mormon bishop—one Kimball—'in the presence of between 2000 and 3000 people, deliver a discourse on the intercourse of the sexes, in which he made use of language too obscene for the most degraded to titter, literally calling things by their right names.' He says that the Eabbi and" chiefs of the Sanhedrim accuse women by name of being ' prostitutes,' to further their own lascivious purposes; and gives the name of a bishop who accused a married woman to her husband of infidelity, to gain her to his own uses. He gives names and dates, also, for other outrages too horrible to be repeated. The circumstantiality of these narratives forbids us to disbelieve them. Public opinion loudly calls upon the Government to do something to cheek the tide of corruption and treason. It is understood that if the Texas Ranger, to whom the post of Governor has been offered, shall decline, it will be given to Judge Drummond, with a sufficient military force to enable him to put down, the despotism of the fanatics, and protect all who wish to leave the superstition. Just at this juncture there is a report that the Mormons themselves have risen against their tyrant, and expelled him from their settlement; and that he is now, if alive, a wanderer among the Indians. The rumour is not credited here. It is believed to be a lie, set on foot by his agents to prevent the Government from sending a force this year to restore order in the^ territory. Unless despatched at once, it will be impossible for any force to traverse the great plains between the settlements and the Eocky Mountains, and cross the high passes before winter. It is thought that these rumours are intended to impede the action of Government until a demonstration is impossible the present year."