Power of Nominating Officers Vested in First Council.
On motion it was resolved that the President of Seventies should have the right of nominating the two assistant councilors and all other officers of the camp required by the Constitution, or on the journey, up to the land of Zion. In accordance with the above resolution Elias Smith, clerk of the Council, and Benjamin S. Wilber, were nominated and received the unanimous vote of the quorum as Councilors of the camp. The Constitution was read and explained to the meeting item by item, that there might be no misunderstanding concerning any part of it or of the motives and designs of the Seventies in the movement then in agitation; and those who subscribed to the Constitution were exhorted to make all preparations in their power to carry into effect the object of the camp, and the meeting was adjourned to Saturday, 17th, at one p. m.
The Constitution.
The council of the Seventies met this day in the attic story of the Lord's House and took into consideration the propriety and necessity of the body of the Seventies going up to the land of Zion in a company together the present season, and adopted the following rules and laws, for the organization and government of the camp:
First—That the Presidents of the Seventies, seven in number, shall be the Councilors [i. e. leaders] of the camp; and that there shall be one man appointed as treasurer, who shall by the advice of the Councilors manage the financial concerns during the journey, and keep a just and accurate account of all monies received and expended for the use of the camp.
Second—That there shall be one man appointed to preside over each tent, to take charge of it; and that from the time of their appointment the tent-men shall make all necessary arrangements for the providing of teams and tents for the journey; and they shall receive counsel and advice from the Councilors; and furthermore, shall see that cleanliness and decency are observed in all cases, the commandments kept, and the Word of Wisdom heeded, that is, no tobacco, tea, coffee, snuff or ardent spirits of any kind are to be taken internally.
Third—That every man shall be the head of his own family, and shall see that they are brought into subjection according to the order of the camp.
Fourth—That all those who shall subscribe to the resolutions, rules and regulations, shall make every exertion, and use all lawful means to provide for themselves and their families, and for the use and benefit of the camp to which they belong; and also to hand over to the Seven Councilors all monies appropriated for that purpose on or before the day the camp shall start.
Fifth—That the money shall be retained in the hands of the Councilors, being divided proportionately among them for safety and to be paid over to the Treasurer as circumstances may require.
Sixth—That any faithful brethren wishing to journey with us can do so by subscribing to, and observing these rules and regulations.
Seventh—That every individual shall at the end of the journey—when a settlement is to be made, or as soon thereafter as their circumstances will admit—pay their proportional part of the expenses of the journey. By expenses it is understood all that is necessarily paid out for the use of a team, wagon or cow, if they safely arrive at the place where the camp shall finally break up.
Eighth—That these rules and laws shall be strictly observed, and every person who shall behave disorderly and not conform to them shall be disfellowshiped by the camp and left by the wayside.
Ninth—That this shall be the law of the camp in journeying from this place up to the land of Zion, and that it may be added unto or amended as circumstances may require by the voice of those who shall subscribe unto it.
[The names of the persons and number in their respective families, who subscribed to the foregoing constitution].
Name.......................No. in family
James Foster...............6
Josiah Butterfield.........4
Zerah Pulsipher............7
Joseph Young...............5
Henry Harriman.............2
Elias Smith................3
W. S. Wilbur...............2
Joshua S. Holman...........8
J. D. Parker...............3
Duncan McArthur............9
Stephen Starks.............6
Anson Call.................3
Amos B. Fuller.............3
Jeremiah Willey............4
Eleazer King, Jun..........3
Thomas G. Fisher...........4
Alfred Brown...............2
Stephen Headlock...........2
John R. Folger.............4
Nathan K. Knight...........9
Joel Judd..................3
Thomas Nickerson...........4
Brother Nickerson's Family.5
David D. Demming...........2
Nancy Richerson............3
Joseph McCaseland..........4
Hiram H. Byington..........4
David Gray.................8
Turman O. Angell...........4
Dominicus Carter...........6
Jonathan H. Holmer.........3
J. B. Noble................7
Levi B. Wilder.............6
James S. Holmon............7
Amos Nickerson.............6
Lewis Eager................3
Stephen Shumway............3
Enoch S. Sanborn...........5
Jonathan Crosby............2
Jonathan Hampton...........4
Otis Shumway...............7
Frederick M. Vanleuven.....6
Benjamin Butterfield.......7
Eleazer King...............7
John Tanner................10
Alason Pettingill..........5
William Perry..............4
Warren Smith...............7
Samuel Barnet..............5
William Carpenter..........5
John Greabble..............8
Arnold Healey..............3
Justin Blood...............5
Reuben Daniels.............7
Jonas Putnam...............6
Daniel Pulsipher...........4
Charles Thompson...........2
Nathan B. Baldwin..........2
Michael Griffith...........6
Henry Stevens..............3
Levi Osgood................5
Cyrus B. Fisher............6
Elijah Merriam.............2
Samuel Hale................3
Martin Hanchet.............5
Orin Cheney................9
George Stringham...........6
Mary Parker................4
Julia Johnson..............8
Alexander Wright...........1
Adonijah Cooley............5
Elijah Cheney..............2
Jesse Baker................2
Elias Pulsipher............8
Jason Brunett..............7
E. B. Gayland..............6
Samuel Fowler..............8
David K. Dustin............2
Charles Bird...............7
Thomas Butterfield.........3
William Field..............5
William Shuman.............7
Cornelius Vanleuven........3
Benjamin K. Hull...........6
Oliver Olney...............9
William Bosley.............2
Joseph Pine................6
Noah Packard...............9
John M. King...............4
Jonathan Dunham............4
Joel H. Johnson............6
Austin W. Cowles...........9
Jonathan H. Hale...........5
George W. Brooks...........4
Abraham Wood...............4
Shearman A. Gilbert........3
William B. Pratt...........4
Samuel Parker..............4
Daniel Bowen...............7
Richard Brasier............4
John Pulsipher.............2
Alba Whittle...............6
Joel Drury.................5
Jonathan Fisher............5
Benjamin Baker.............6
Amasa Cheney...............6
Josiah Miller.............10
Amos Baldwin..............12
John Sweat................10
Daniel Allen, Jun..........4
Stephen Richardson.........8
Martin H. Peck.............6
Isaac Rogers...............4
Abram Boynton..............7
Michael McDonald...........5
James Brown................7
Alexander Campbell
Joseph C. Clark............6
Jared Porter...............3
William Earl..............11
Daniel Bliss...............2
Isaac W. Pierce............5
Jabez Lake.................5
Samuel Mulliner............5
Aaron M. York..............4
James Strop................6
Reuben Hedlock.............8
Andrew Lamereaux...........7
William Wilson.............3
John Carter................2
Samuel Parker..............4
Isaac Dewitt...............8
Hiram Griffiths............3
John Hamond................6
Arnold Stevens.............6
Gardner Snow...............3
George Snow................2
Thomas Draper
Abram Bond.................3
John Lameraux..............6
Jesse P. Harmon............6
John Vanleuven, Jun........9
Aaron Cheney...............6
Nathan Cheney..............4
Edwin P. Merriam...........3
Henry Munroe...............3
Ira P. Thornton............7
Oliver Rowe................6
Stephen Rowe...............6
John Thorp.................7
Daniel L. Nuptire..........3
William Gribble............3
Charles N. Baldwin.........2
William Draper, Sen........2
Laban Morris...............2
Lucius N. Scovil...........4
Aaron Johnson..............4
Joseph Coon................4
Nathan Staker..............6
Asa Wright................10
Zephaniah W. Brewster......9
Munro Crosier..............2
Asaph Blanchard............1
Ethan A. Moore.............8
William Carey
James Lethead
John Rulison...............8
The Movement Commended.
March 17.—Met again agreeable to adjournment in the attic story of the Lord's House, at 1 p. m. A general attendance of those belonging to the camp and many others belonging to the different quorums of the Church came in. The room was full to overflowing. Elder Josiah Butterfield, presided. After opening by prayer the object of the meeting was stated by the chairman, viz., the removing of the Saints to Zion. Elder James Foster next laid before the meeting the movements of the Seventies in relation to that desired object and was followed by Elders Joseph Young, Henry Harriman, Zera Pulsipher, and by others of the different quorums, who highly approved of the proceedings of the quorum of Seventies in relation to the order of removing and of the organization of the camp. The Constitution was read by the clerk, which was spoken of in terms of commendation by all who spoke. Much of the Spirit of God was manifested on this occasion and the hearts of all made glad in anticipation of their deliverance from Kirtland.
Hyrum Smith on Previous Movements.
President Hyrum Smith came in and addressed the meeting at some length on the movements of the Saints in Kirtland in relation to their emigration to the land of Zion since the commandment had gone forth for the honest in heart to rise up and go up unto that land. He stated that what he had said and done in reference to chartering a steamboat, for the purpose of removing the Church as a body, he had done according to his own judgment without reference to the testimony of the Spirit of God; that he had recommended that course and had advised the High Council and High Priests to adopt that measure, acting solely by his own wisdom, for it had seemed to him that the whole body of the Church in Kirtland could be removed with less expense in the way he had proposed than in any other. He said further that the Saints had to act often times upon their own responsibility without any reference to the testimony of the Spirit of God in relation to temporal affairs, that he has so acted in this matter and has never had any testimony from God that the plan of going by water was approved of by Him, and that the failure of the scheme was evidence in his mind that God did not approve of it.
Hyrum Smith Commends the Seventies.
He then declared that he knew by the Spirit of God that the movements that were making by the quorum of the Seventies for their removal and the plan of their journeying was according to the will of the Lord. He advised all who were calculating to go up to Zion at present, whose circumstances would admit, to join with the Seventies in their plan and go up with them; and if he were so situated that he could join the camp himself and go with them, he would do so, and strictly comply with the rules which had been adopted for the regulation of the camp on the journey. It would be his delight to go as an individual without having any concern whatever in the management of affairs, either directly or indirectly, during the journey.
Advantage of a Large Company.