The council of the Twelve Apostles wrote to Ramus, Lima, Augusta, and other branches, as follows:—
The Twelve to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in and about Ramus, greeting:—
BELOVED BRETHREN:—As our beloved President Joseph Smith is now relieved from his bondage and his business, temporarily, and his property, too, he has but one thing to hinder his devoting his time to the spiritual interests of the Church, to the bringing forth of the revelations, translation, and history. And what is that? He has not provision for himself and family, and is obliged to spend his time in providing therefor. His family is large and his company great, and it requires much to furnish his table. And now, brethren, we call on you for immediate relief in this matter; and we invite you to bring our President as many loads of wheat, corn, beef, pork, lard, tallow, eggs, poultry, venison, and everything eatable at your command, (not excepting unfrozen potatoes and vegetables, as soon as the weather will admit,) flour, etc., and thus give him the privilege of attending to your spiritual interest.
The measure you mete shall be measured to you again. If you give liberally to your President in temporal things, God will return to you liberally in spiritual and temporal things too. One or two good new milch cows are much needed also.
Brethren, will you do your work, and let the President do his for you before God? We wish an immediate answer by loaded teams or letter.
Your brethren in Christ, in behalf of the quorum,
BRIGHAM YOUNG, President.
WILLARD RICHARDS, Clerk.
P.S. Brethren, we are not unmindful of the favors our President has received from you in former days. But a man will not cease to be hungry this year because he ate last year.
B. Y.
W. R.
Some thirty inhabitants of Saratogo, New York, have died recently of a disease called the black tongue.
About this time, a slide from Mount Ida, near Troy, New York, took place, burying ten houses and killing thirty or forty persons.
Thursday, 2.—I was engaged in the court-room, sitting on the case of Charles R. Dana versus William B. Brink all day. In the evening, examining Blackstone and Phillips on evidence.
I visited with Elders Brigham Young and Orson Hyde, with their wives, at Elder Heber C. Kimball's.
The legislature of Illinois took up the bill to repeal the Nauvoo City Charter.
Nauvoo Charter in the House of the Illinois Legislature.
Mr. Davis, of Bond county, moved to take up the bill to repeal a part of the Nauvoo Charter. Objections being made by several members, it was decided in the affirmative, and placed on the orders of the day; the question being on ordering the bill to a third reading.
Mr. Simms moved the previous question.
Mr. Logan hoped the previous question would not be sustained. Some of the provisions proposed to be repealed are very innocent ones, and he thought the house would be willing to retain them. He wanted to repeal the provisions allowing the writ of habeas corpus and some others. The previous question was then lost.
Mr. Logan denied that any discussion had been had on the provision of the Charter proposed to be repealed. He wanted the gentlemen interested to have an opportunity to be heard.
Mr. Thomas B. Owen, of Hancock, went into the subject at some length. He compared the Charter of Nauvoo with any other city in the State, and showed that the bill repealed the same powers in the Nauvoo Charter which others contained and are permitted to retain. He thought this unjust, and was opposed to the principle of making such distinctions. He bore testimony to the good order and industry of the Mormons, and he had no doubt but they were much abused.
He alluded to the course of the Whigs during the canvass of the last election, and appealed to his party to sustain the Mormons, as they had so nobly carried the last election. He cautioned them against taking the other course, and predicted, if they did, that they would be the means of electing a Whig to Congress in that district, and at the next gubernatorial election would elect the governor also; that the arms of the Whigs were open to receive them [The "Mormons.">[