Show I 1 copyright secure secured aj J history OF JOSEPH JOSEH SMITH DECEMBER 1843 t the city council also passed an ordin ordinance ance to erect ii dam in the Mississippi river and for other purposes Section sections 1 be it ordained by the city council of 0 the city of f nauvoo that joseph smith and his successors for the term of perpetual sidD are hereby authorized and empowered to erect a dam of suitable height t to propel mills and machinery from any p point within tile the limits of said city and below the nauvoo house aud arid in a prop proper 1 er direction to reach the island this side of montrose but not to interfere f ere with the main channel of the mississippi river sections 2 and be it further ordained that the said joseph smith and his successors are further author authorized lied to erect north of the aforesaid 1 island a dam pier or break brdak breakwater water to intersect the sand bar above section 3 be it further ordained that said Josep hSmith and his successors are also authorized zed and have full liberty to use the said dam and water for the purpose of propel propelling I 1 ng mitis anil ls and machinery and shall be governed in their rates of toll and rule ruie s of manufactory by ordinance of bf said city section 4 and be it further ordained th that at the said joseph smith and his successors are further authorized and empowered to use the space within the limits os the said dam as a harbor or basin for steam boats and other water craft and for which purpose they may construct docks wharves and landi landl landings figs and receive buch such fees for wharf age as may be regulated by ordinance of said city section 5 and bo be it further ordained that said joseph smith and his successors are further authorized to build a an embankment on the east side of the aforesaid island to connect the said dam with the pier on the north and to use the top of said dam for a public road or highway receiving for compensation from those who crosa upon it such rates as may be allowed by ordinance of said ciry city passed december 8 1843 JOSEPH SMITH mayor willrd RICHARDS recorder 11 I 1 suggested sted to the cotin council cil cli the idea of petitioning angress Nn congress gress grebs to receive the thi city of nauvoo under the krotec protection tion of me tue United States government to acknowledge the na nauvoo 0 legion asu aau asu S troops and to as assist in for fortifications gica fica and nd et that a mes messenger be sent ta congress for this purpose at the expense of bf the city cital nies Ales sri john taylor orson spencer and lind were appointed a committee to draft a memorial according to nl my suggestions saturday 9 al at home prayer meeting in the assembly room k copy from dom the neighbor i at a very large meeting of the citizens of nauvoo held at the corner 0 of main alain and water streets mr heber C kimball was elected chairman and J al bernhisel bemo Bero hisel appointed secretary cre tary mr air george A smith having made a few observations mr john taylor re read ad the preamble and resolutions of a meeting held at the temple on the ath instant also an ordinance entitled an extra ordinance for the extra case of joseph smith and others recently passed bythe city council of the city of nauvoo likewise the fifth articles of the amendments of the constitution of the united states tatem and nd the tile opinion of the attorney general of the sta Sla teof illinois illinoia on the subject of the or organization ian izat lon ion of the leg Legio ion lon nhe nho lie lle bein beld being 9 0 odthe th opinion that said legion was disconnected from the military communities of the whole state and in no way subject to the regular military officers possessing an tion lion even from subjection to the general anili tary laws with a law making power vested in their own own legion after some pertinent remarks by mr taylor J general joseph smith briefly addressed the 1 meeting ne eting he dissented entirely from the opinion i lon ion of the attorney general and observed that it was stated in tile the charter that the lesion was a part ot or the minitia of illinois and that IHS his commission declared that he general smith mith was the Lien lieu lieutenant tenant general of the nauvoo legion and of the militia of the state of illinois and as such it was wag not only his enforce the city ordinances but toe the laws of the state when called on by the Gd governor vernor vernon ile he also stated that lie he had been informed that the chief magistrate of missouri hai hav hadit it in con temptation temp lation to make another requisition on the governor of illinois for him joseph smith the meeting then adjourned sine die ff C X KIMBALL chairman J M sec received the following T nauvoo leg legion f ion lon nauvoo nauvo 0 city dec 9 1813 I 1 gen joseph smith in consequence odthe orders I 1 received from you vou to hold in readiness a sufficient portion of the legion ac to make said forces efficient it will be necess necessary afy to supply them with munitions of war which of course must be done at the expense of the city you will therefore please to give orders to the commandants of on their application to you ou on the city treasury for whatever amount you may think proper on the present occasion occasion most respectfully your obedient servant WILSON LAW major gen N L 11 sunday 10 rainy rauly day I 1 staid at home A pray er meeting held this evening in in tile the ass assembly embly room F I 1 was not present brigham young presided sev several gral grai sick persons were prayed for by letter from J white deputy sheriff of clark clarl county missouri I 1 learn that mr daniel avery is is in marion county prison iv without trial the ibe sheriff requests several men to go there as witnesses it is evidently a trap to get some more of our people into their power when I 1 was in prison in missouri my witnesses were arrested before they got into court to testify except one who was kicked out of the court by b an officer cook who adamd him and ordered some pome of his company to shoot him after which the states attorney birch turned to me tauntingly saying why the hell dont you bring on your witnesses and J judge u de d e king laughed at my discomfiture the sain saints ta have had elou enough ir h of Miss missouri ourt mob justice monday 11 the following aili alii affidavit davit will shew that some of the citizens of illinois are so far fallen and so much governed by influence aa as to assist the missouri wretches in their hellish designs state of illinois hancock county S on the lith day oe of december 1843 came sisson A chase before ine me aaron joh johnson ason a justice of the peace of said county and after being ben dul dui duly sworn dep oseth and saith that the crime of kidnapping has been committed in in hancock county ana and and on the 2nd and day of this j present dec 1843 at the tife house of Sch rench freeman about about four miles and a half south of warsaw in sald gaid said baid county count your 5 our said affiant heard a man by the name of john elliott say that he was going a shooting olg tig torbies tor tur kies kles when asked what lie he was going to shoot them with he be showed a brace b race of pistols and a large hickory cane your your affiant observed that he be thought he could not ot kill with such weapons and the said elliot said there was a certain cock he meant to take before night and they would do for that lie he the said elliot went oil off and your affiant did not bec sec him till sanday evening the third when your affiant asked he baid said elliott if he had caught his turkey y and he replied yes cs the one he was after a I 1 mormon elder your affiant then asked him who vi ho he was and he said daniel diniel avery your youn I 1 1 affiant then asked the said saul elliot what had been done with said avery aveia and he be said we I 1 flim put ut him oil on to a horse tied his legs and guarded i him to the tile river from whence about ten at night we nse took him into clark dark county missouri missour for stealing a horae horse four years ago awo ago where they would try him and if found guilty they would then take him into another county where there was a jail as there was none nong in clark dark county on the of december I 1 asked him if they had writs oc or authority to take mr lir avery he replied we all had writs on the ath said elliott said he expected to get into difficulty on account of this scrape ape but if any mormon makes any business with me I 1 will shoot him and further pur 3 our affiant says lot not SISSON A CHASE subscribed and sworn to this lith day of december 1813 1843 before me AARON JOHNSON JP 11 41 which I 1 sent to the governor with thid this letter Nau nauvoo roo dec 11 1843 sir I 1 herewith forward forwand your our excellency another affidavit on the subject of the late kidnapping and shall continue the same as they come to hand expecting your cordial co opera tion in ire the premises premi bes beb that the laws may be magnified and made honorable anti and our lives held precious vs our friends saved from jeopardy and the captives freed respectfully I 1 have the honor tobe to be your obedient servant JOSEPH SMITH SMITHY diee Afee meetings tings w hire held and resolutions passed in in all the wards of the city re requesting questin the city council to raise a com company pany of 40 men to act as police last night two ruffians whose names are unknown went to the hou house bouse c of b brother other richard badham Bad hamo haro a farmer living on the prairie robbed the hoube cf ef abl threatened his life stabbed him in in the abdomen m en when part liart of lils his caul gushed out dr J 14 bernhisel dressed llla his wounds today to day ds and he th thinks alks there is is a prospect of his recovering tuesday 12 in office ae at 9 am a n and wrote a letter to my uncle president john sohn smith T the lie lle petition of a special pe i al confer conference an c C af at macedonia macedon i a of last november m b r f for fon or your appointment as patriarch in in the has been received duly considered andis and is granted you have my best beat wishes in your behalf as well weli as my pra prayers yero yeno that you may fill so honorable and ani exalted a station with the dignity sobriety and grace which has hitherto characterized your our conduct and communion ag as a man of god yours JOSEPH SMITH at 10 am attended city council which passed an ordinance exempting allchurch property from city tax in accordance with the petitions from the several wards the council passed kassed the follow in ing an ordinance for selecting forty policemen in and f for r other purposes ses 21 section 1 ba be it ordained by the city colln council of the city of nauvoo that the mayor of said city be and he is hereby authorized to sele select ct and have in readiness for esery asery emergency forty policemen to be at his disposal in maintaining the peace and dignity of the citizens and enforcing the ordinances of the said city for ferreting out thieves and bringing them to justice and to act as ap daily and nightly watchmen atch men and be under uhe me pay of said city passed december 12 1843 JOSEPH SMITH mayor W Re recorder dorder 11 the council also passed A an n ordinance for the health and convenience of travellers Trav ellers and other persons section 1 be te it ordained by the city council counci of the city of nauvoo that the mayor of the city be and is hereby authorized to sell or give spirits of any quantity as he in his wisdom a shall all ali judge to be for the health comfort or convenience of such travelers or other persons ons ag as shall visit his house from time to time passed december Dece niber 12 1843 JOSEPH SMITH mayor willard wil wll LARD RiCI RICHARDS recorder wednesday 13 at home I 1 insert an editorial from the neighbor PUBLIC MEETING it will be seen in another column that a public meeting was held in this place for the purpose of providing I 1 some remedy for the rep repeated a abed aggressions of the state of missouri since which time an ordinance has been passed by the city council to carry into effect that object and to prevent the citizens of this place from being any longer imposed upon b by y the continued u ed edeual illegal egal proceeding proceedings edinga 0 of the e state and citizens of missouri we think that itis hll hil high c ah time that something should be done to acre screen en ourselves from the continued aggressions of this meddling trouble some bloodthirsty blood thirsty herd and we know of no means that will be more efficient and lawful than the on one adopted it we have done tone good for evil long enough in all conscience we think that we have fulfilled the scriptures every wint mint they have smitten us on the one cheek and we have turned the other and they have smote that also we have also fulfilled the law and more than fulfilled it and for the sake of peace when we knew that we had violated no law lal nor in in any wie subjected ourselves to perse cautions cut lons ions we have endured the wrong patiently without offering ing violence or in any wise inbur ing the beartle heartless ss wretches who vrho could be trusted with such a dishonorable document those vagabonds bonds have been onfre suffered red to provi at large and boast of their inglorious deeds in our mid midst at and no man hab has injured them or sai bai said d why do you so athe time however is now gone by for this mode of proceeding and those vagabonds must keep within their own borders and let peaceable citizens alone or receive the due demerit of their crimes we think that this ordinance passed by the city council is wise judicious and well timed and ia is well weil calculated to protect peaceable citizens in their rights and to prevent those lawless vagabonds va abolds from interfering fering with the rights of peaceable ci citizens to fo those unacquainted with our relationship to missouri and the accumulated prongs an and add repeated that we lia ila have e received from the hands Y otha tho state our language may appear harsh and ill timed but thos those e who ho are in possession of thice facts know better their merciless unrelenting inhuman prosecutions and persecutions from the time of our first settlement in that state until the present ll 11 have ve been entirely unprovoked arid and without the shadow of law joseph smith has been suffered to be taken ti time ma and again by th them em we say a offered lff iff bred cred because he could not 6 be legally gli y and constitutionally taken joseph smith never committed the crimes of which he is charged he lie is an innocent cent man but allowing their false diabolical abens accusations a to be true what then does it follo follow w that he is 13 continually to be followed for tile the barme earns of of fence lance verily no the constitution of the united states expressly says sais aag nor shall any any persan person be subject for the ibre same offense offence to be wic mec put in jeo jeopardy ardy of life or limb and yeu yes we find that tre the state of missouri has hag put joseph joseeh smith in jeopardy no leba leaa than four or oy five times ile he wa wai wal tried once by 9 militar military y tribunal in missouri and ani sentenced to be shot he was afterwards tried by a pretended civil civi li Artic court and since then be he has been several times apprehended tried and ani ac quieted for the same oi of fence lence id id this detate ghate by missouri requisitions Is he still il illegally legall and un unconstitutionally constitution n ally aily to be held field in abeyance by these there miscreants or shall we as freeborn free born american citizens assert our righta put the law in force upon those lawless prowling a vagabonds aad say that be he shall ahall be free iree shall we suffer our pockets to be ber picked through the influence of these thae scoundrels eternally by defending ourselves 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