Friday ^Saturday March 4. 1843 9 A.M. Brother Benjamin Johnson. and the b rethren from Ramus, who came from for to bring provisions ^{corn. Pork. oats flour— wheat.— as per Bill}> at the house.— agreed to go with Hiram [Hyrum Smith] to Ramus one week to day—535 Bro John[son] wanted to know. if they might build a meeting house in Ramus out of chu[r]ch property. Joseph. said the property of the church should be disposed of as the church said it was for them to decide not him . . .— There is a wheel. this is the Hub we will drive the fir[s]t spoke in Ramus 2d— Laharpe. 3d Shokokon. 4. Lima that is ½ the wheel. the other half is over the river we will let that alone at present. we will call the saints from Iowa to these spokes then sold send elders over & convert the whole.— It is like a bank. they will not discount, because they have plenty of speciee. we will draw the th[e]ir speciee. then they will discount our paper. (call for our elders.)— 9½ called at the office & gave instructions concerning making out the decision of court 10 o clock. opened city council prayer B. Geo A. Smith.— Bill regulating currency read.536 the Legislature of Illinois have long been trying to repeal the Charter of Nauvoo.— upon which the mayor made some as he had done on former occasions537 to shew the council & others that that the Legislature cannot repeal a charter where there is no repealing clause.—538 upon which he read a letter from James Arlington Bennet to confirm his decision.— Letter Dated Arlington House Feb 1.st. 1843.—539 spoke against [Alexander] Mackenzie’s murdering those boys. [Philip] Spencer &c— as stated in Arlingtons letter.— called it murder. the boys had the malary [malaria] on the coast of Africa & did not know what they did.—— In debate on the bill. Geo A Smith thought imprisonme[n]t better than hanging. Mayor said he was opposed to hanging if a man kill anothe[r] shoot him or cut his throat. spilling his blood on the ground and let the smoke thereof ascend up to God. and if I ever have the privilige of Making a law on this point I will have it so.— In reply to councillors who though[t] it impolitic to stop circulating uncurrent Bank notes at once Mayor said it ^he would use a figure. and talk like a father to his children.— if you want to kill a serpent. don’t cut off his head for fear he will bite you. but cut off his tail piece by piece & perhaps you wont get bit. so with the this bill— if paper currency is an evil put it down at once. the Stop the circulation at once.— when councillors get up here let them talk sense. Great God where is common sense & reason? is there none in the Earth? why have the kanker lingering. to sap our life.— get a 5.$ bill can get nothing with it. dare not touch it any one, because it is a [[t u r d]]. shovel it out then. I wish you had my soul long enough to know how good it feels.—— It is expedient when you strike at an enemy, strike the most deadly blow, possible.— ([Orson] Hyde asked what the editor would do) Mayor said advertise in the next paper to your agents to send you gold & silver. as we take no paper here. Prisoners may be kept in the city as safe as in the city Prison of the state. by chaining to a block, with, a guard. & labor in blacksmith shops or any where else,— & never have a prisoner sent out of the city. for imprisonme[n]t.— Bills passed to stop circulation of paper currency in the city. punish counterfeiting &c . . . by unanimous vote.— Dr Samuel Bennet [Bennett] chosen Alderman. A[lbert] P. Rockwood. fire warden for 1st ward. Elijah Fordham. firewarden: 2d ward Charles C. Rich. firewarden 3d ward ^voted. opened an alley— north & South through block 126— 1½ P.M adjournd to next regular meeting. dined. about 3 P.M. cold. clear. repaird to office with. O[rson] Spencer Proverb— For a man to be a great man, he must not dwell upon small things; though he may enjoy them. spoken a while entering the office— Explanati[o]n a prophet cannot be a scribe. &c . . . Joseph said to Dr [Willard] Richards there is one thing you fail in as historian the naming or noticing surrounding objects. weather &c the weather is extremely cold & freezing and has been almost continually since October. there was a breaking up of the ice in the River in Februa[r]y so that Boats passd from St Louis to Quincy— and the falls were clear so that boats passd from Montrose to Keokuk. but the river has not been cleard yet f[r]om the [Esaias] Edwards Brick house546 & upwa[r]ds— & the breth[re]n have brought a multitude of wood on the ice from the opposite shore and the islands. hundreds of cords per day. Feb 2 ground clear except a little ice. ^{Brought in by Hyrum Smith,} “Christian soldier Jan 7th 1843” “41st article of Court Martial laws.” “No such sentence (that of Death) shall be carried into execution until confirmed by the president of the Unitd States; or if the trial take place out of the United States, until it be confirmed by the commander of the Fleet or Squadron,— Capt M[ackenzie] does not rank as commander of the two latter.”547 Joseph. “They’l Hang Mackenzie, or, imprison them, ^Him or break Him of his office”) The Battle of Gog and Magog is after the Millenium, The[y] were command[ed] to come up to Jerusalem to worship in the Millenium.— continued to write on decision of court till 4½ o clock— then called at Bro [Jabez] Durphy’s— to see sick— Wood Worths ^Woodworths> & Whitneys—and Kimballs