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Revised Committee Appointments, 11 February–circa 10 June 1843, as Recorded in Nauvoo City Council Minute Book

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Revised Committee Appointments, 11 February–circa 10 June 1843, as Recorded in Nauvoo City Council Minute Book

Source Note

JS as mayor, Revised Committee Appointments, , Hancock Co., IL, 11 Feb.–ca. 10 June 1843. Featured version copied [between 11 May and 30 July 1843] in Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, pp. 159–160; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 1841–1845.

Historical Introduction

JS, acting as mayor of , Illinois, appointed members of the Nauvoo City Council to various standing committees on 11 February 1843. The “Rules of Order of the City Council of the City of Nauvoo,” adopted in January 1842, stated that all of the council’s standing committees, which were created to oversee major aspects of city governance, were to be “appointed by the mayor.” The rules stipulated that certain committees—the committees of Ways and Means, Improvements, Police, and Public Grounds—were to consist of one council member from each of the four political wards in the city, while other committees each consisted of a set number of council members with no regard to the wards in which they lived. In several instances, the number of council members JS appointed to a committee did not match the number or ward representation stipulated by the rules. However, there is no record of objections to his appointments on these grounds.
On 6 February 1843, an election was held for officers of the city council. JS, who had replaced as city mayor in May 1842, was elected to continue in that position. Sometime during the next five days, JS determined which city council members would serve on each of the council’s standing committees. On 11 February, following their swearing-in ceremony and the appointment of city officers but before giving his inaugural address, JS informed the city council members of their committee appointments.
City recorder apparently noted the appointment of the new standing committees during the day’s city council meeting and shortly thereafter copied a more detailed record into the City Council Minute Book as part of the minutes for business that the city council conducted. Many of the committees received assignments later that same day.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 22 Jan. 1842, 45–51.

  2. [2]

    JS, Journal, 6 Feb. 1843.

  3. [3]

    “City Election,” Wasp, 8 Feb. 1843, [2].

    The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.

  4. [4]

    Oath, 11 Feb. 1843; Discourse, 11 Feb. 1843; JS, Journal, 11 Feb. 1843; Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, 11 Feb. 1843, 6–8.

  5. [5]

    Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, 11 Feb. 1843, 7–8.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. Committee Appointments, 11 February 1843 Revised Committee Appointments, 11 February–circa 10 June 1843
*Revised Committee Appointments, 11 February–circa 10 June 1843, as Recorded in Nauvoo City Council Minute Book
*Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 1841–1845

Page 159

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The following Committees were then appointed, to be standing Committees, in this Council; to wit.
of Ways & Means. of Police.
. .
. .
. .
[p. 159]
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Source Note

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Page 159

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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Revised Committee Appointments, 11 February–circa 10 June 1843, as Recorded in Nauvoo City Council Minute Book
ID #
8418
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D11:415–418
Handwriting on This Page
  • James Sloan

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    The Committee of Ways and Means was “to consist of One Member from each Ward, to whom shall be referred all Subjects of Taxation & Revenue.” The precise location of Wells’s residence is unknown, but he owned property in both the Second and Third wards. Spencer lived in the Second Ward, and Pratt lived in the First Ward. (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 22 Jan. 1842, 50; Book of Assessment, 1842, Second Ward, 17; Book of Assessment, 1842, Third Ward, 23, Nauvoo, IL, Records, CHL; Platt, Nauvoo, 23, 34.)

    Nauvoo, IL, Records, 1841–1845. CHL.

    Platt, Lyman De. Nauvoo: Early Mormon Records Series, 1839–1846. Vol. 1. Highland, UT, 1980.

  2. [2]

    The Committee of Police was “to consist of One Member from each Ward, who are empowered to call upon any Officer of the Corporation, for any information, report, paper or other Matter relative to the Police.” The precise location of Wells’s residence is unknown, but he owned property in both the Second and Third wards. Spencer lived in the Second Ward, and Bennett lived in the Fourth Ward. A description of the responsibilities of the city’s police was included among the ordinances passed on 30 January 1843. (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 22 Jan. 1842, 51; Book of Assessment, 1842, Second Ward, 17; Book of Assessment, 1842, Third Ward, 23, Nauvoo, IL, Records, CHL; Platt, Nauvoo, 34, 90; Ordinances, 30 Jan. 1843.)

    Nauvoo, IL, Records, 1841–1845. CHL.

    Platt, Lyman De. Nauvoo: Early Mormon Records Series, 1839–1846. Vol. 1. Highland, UT, 1980.

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