Horace Gray

“ Although congress has the undoubted power to annul or modify at its pleasure the statutes of any territory of the United States, yet an intention to supersede the local law is not to be presumed, unless clearly expressed. ”

“ The only section, other than section 18, in the act of congress of 1887, which affects the title that any member of a man's family shall take in his estate, is section 12, enacting that illegitimate children shall take no share by descent or distribution in the estate of the father; and this section is restricted to the territory of Utah, although section 7 of the act of 1882, referred to in the saving clause of this section, legitimated the issue of Mormon marriages 'in any territory of the United States.' 22 Stat. ”

“ In New Mexico and Arizona, as well as in Idaho and Washington, the law of community of property between husband and wife, derived from the civil law, through the laws of Spain and France, prevailed to a greater or less extent. ”