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Minutes, 10 June 1844

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Minutes, 10 June 1844

Source Note

Nauvoo City Council, Minutes, [, Hancock Co., IL], 10 June 1844. Featured version copied [ca. 10 June 1844] in Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, 10 Feb. 1844–13 Jan. 1845, pp. 19–[31]; handwriting of ; Nauvoo, IL, Records, 1841–1845, CHL. Includes use marks. For more complete source information, see the source note for Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, Feb. 1844–Jan. 1845.

Historical Introduction

On 10 June 1844, the , Illinois, city council met to consider what action it should take in response to the publication of the Nauvoo Expositor. The first issue of this newspaper was published on 7 June. The city council subsequently gathered on 8 June for its regularly scheduled meeting and, among other things, heard from witnesses JS had brought in to testify about the character of certain individuals associated with the Expositor. During this meeting, JS stated his belief that the newspaper and its proprietors intended to destroy the peace in Nauvoo and that it was not safe to have this type of publication in the city, as it could lead to mob violence. Moreover, he explained that his statements and the testimony of the witnesses were meant to prepare the city council to act on the matter. In particular, JS urged the city council to pass an ordinance against libels, and city councilor and , who was a city councilor as well as the city’s attorney, received the assignment to craft this legislation. Later during the meeting, Phelps read a draft of the libel ordinance, and JS and city councilor requested certain additions to it. The council then adjourned until 10 June.
The city council held two sessions on 10 June, most likely in the . The first session lasted from ten o’clock in the morning until shortly after one o’clock in the afternoon, when the council adjourned for a recess. At half past two o’clock in the afternoon, the second session began, and it lasted until a little after six o’clock in the evening. During these sessions, the city council heard additional testimony about various men connected to the Nauvoo Expositor and unanimously approved the newest draft of the libel ordinance. At JS’s suggestion, the city council also discussed the possibility of suppressing the Nauvoo Expositor. Most of the council’s members expressed their approval of this course of action. Only , a city councilor who was not a member of the , urged caution and suggested instead giving the proprietors “a few days” notice to desist publishing the alleged libels and assessing heavy fines for noncompliance. After deliberating, the city council rejected Warrington’s suggestion. It then passed a resolution declaring the Expositor a nuisance and ordering JS as mayor to remove any printing equipment and copies of the newspaper found in its office in a manner of his choosing.
City recorder appears to have taken notes during the 10 June city council meeting on loose leaves of paper, one of which is still extant. It seems he then used these notes to craft the minutes of the 10 June city council meeting, which he recorded in the city council’s rough minute book. Later, on 15 and 16 June, Richards prepared a revised version of the minutes for the 8 and 10 June meetings focused on the city council’s deliberations regarding the Nauvoo Expositor. The Nauvoo Neighbor then published the revised version of the minutes in its extra issue dated 17 June and its regular issue dated 19 June. The version in the 19 June issue is identical to the version in the extra, except for some stylistic and clarifying changes. The 10 June minutes that Richards recorded in the city council’s rough minute book are featured here, with significant differences between them and the version published in the Neighbor’s 17 June extra noted.

Footnotes

  1. Nauvoo Expositor, 7 June 1844, [1]; see also Historical Introduction to Minutes, 8 June 1844.

  2. Minutes, 8 June 1844.

  3. Ordinance, 10 June 1844.

  4. Resolution, 10 June 1844.

  5. This loose leaf rests between pages [22] and [23] of Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, Feb. 1844–Jan. 1845.

  6. Richards, Journal, 15–16 June 1844. A synopsis for a portion of the manuscript version of the 8 June minutes is extant; however, the manuscript version of the last portion of the 8 June minutes and the entirety of the 10 June minutes has not been located. (Synopsis of Nauvoo City Council Proceedings, 8 June 1844, JS Office Papers, CHL.)

    Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.

  7. “For the Neighbor,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 17 June 1844, [1]; “For the Neighbor,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 19 June 1844, [2]–[3].

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. Minutes, 10 June 1844, Partial Draft Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, February 1844–January 1845 *Minutes, 10 June 1844 Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, February 1844–January 1845 Minutes, 10 June 1844, Extract, as Published in Nauvoo Neighbor Revised Minutes, 17 June 1844 Revised Minutes, 17 June 1844, as Published in Nauvoo Neighbor History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 [1 May 1844–8 August 1844] “History of Joseph Smith”
Sworn into office— as Alde[r]man. and took his seat
Cyrus Hills Sworn.— one day last week I beleive it Wedndy [Wednesday] a gentleman. whom I did not know come into the sitting ro[o]m of. the and req[u]ested the Hon Mayor to step aside he wanted to speak with him— The[y] stepped through the door into the entry by the foot of the stairs. and the Gen asked him what he wished.
<​as I [illegible] <​Witness​> Lea[r]ned th[e] Gentlens [gentleman’s] nam[e]​> said he wanted some convesatin [conversation] on some business Whi[c]h witness did not undestnd [understand] at that time. The Gen refused to go any further— & said he would have no convesatin in private. what should be said he would have in public.— They had some convesation whi[c]h witness could not repeat— witness then hea[r]d the General tell witness <​​> if he would choose 3 or 4. <​men​> he would meet him with the same number. of men. (among whom was his brothr ). and they wou[l]d have a cool and calm investigati[o]n of the subj[ec]t.— and by his making a p[r]oper satisfacti[o]n things should be honorably adjusted. Witnessed Judged from the Manner Which expressed himself that he ag[r]eed to the Mayo[r’]s proposals— and would meet <​him​> the same day.— Witness hea[r]d no p[r]oposals made by Mayor to for a settlement. heard nothi[n]g about any offers of dollars or money or any other offers except those mentind [mentioned]. before.— nothing said about .— witness was within hearing of the parties all the time convessatin was going on.—
Sworn— <​said​> some day last week. saw ride up to the & go in. went in & found the Gen the Mayor & talking <​as <​he​> I went in​>— Gen Smith was naming the men he would have p[r]esent— among whom. . . . & .— and that might call an equal number of his fri[e]nds— as witn[e]ss [p. [21]]
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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Minutes, 10 June 1844
ID #
17544
Total Pages
13
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Willard Richards

Footnotes

  1. This sentence is not included in the published city council minutes. Elias Smith was temporarily serving as an alderman in place of George A. Smith, who was absent from Nauvoo preaching and campaigning for JS’s presidential run. Elias Smith, George A. Smith, and JS were all cousins. (“For the Neighbor,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 17 June 1844, [1]; Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, 29 Apr. 1844, 11; “Special Conference,” Times and Seasons, 15 Apr. 1844, 5:506; George A. Smith, Journal, 9 May 1844.)

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

    Smith, George A. Journal, 22 Feb. 1841–10 Mar. 1845. George Albert Smith, Papers, 1834–1877. CHL. MS 1322, box 2, fd. 4.

  2. The published version of the city council minutes specifies that Hills was a “stranger.” He may have been temporarily lodging at the Nauvoo Mansion. (“For the Neighbor,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 17 June 1844, [1].)

  3. The event in question took place at about ten o’clock in the morning on 7 June 1844, which was a Friday. (JS, Journal, 7 June 1844; Minutes, 8 June 1844.)

  4. JS, the lieutenant general of the Nauvoo Legion.

  5. This sentence is not included in the published version of the city council minutes. (“For the Neighbor,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 17 June 1844, [1].)

  6. Willard Richards recorded in JS's journal that “R[obert] D. Foster called profess[e]dly to make some concessions— & return to the chu[r]ch wanted a private intervew which I declind— told him— I would choose individuals. & he might choose othe[r]s— & we would meet.— and I would settle eve[r]y thing on righteo[u]s p[r]inciples.” (JS, Journal, 7 June 1844.)

  7. Although William Clayton noted in his journal that Foster refused JS’s terms, Lucien Woodworth testified before the Nauvoo City Council on 8 June 1844 that Foster accepted them. (Clayton, Journal, 7 June 1844; Minutes, 8 June 1844.)

    Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.

  8. This passage in the published version of the city council minutes reads “and would meet him, the same day, in presence of friends.” (“For the Neighbor,” Nauvoo Neighbor, Extra, 17 June 1844, [1].)

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