“, Corner of Missouri and 3rd. Streets Decr. 7. 1839 To and the Honorable high Council of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Your humble servants Joseph Smith Jr. and again address you for the purpose of informing you of our proceedings here in relation to our business and prospects of success, We deem it unimportant to say any thing in relation to our journey, arrival and interview with his Excellency the of these ; as they were mentioned in a letter lately addressed to President and the High Council. We mentioned in that letter the appointment of a meeting to be held by the Delegation to consult upon the best measures of getting our business brought before Congress. They met yesterday in one of the Committee Rooms of the Capitol. All the delegation except the were present, who is now one of the Representatives in Congress, and on account of whose absence the meeting was adjourned. until today at eleven o’clock: however the subject was partially introduced, and Mr. [John] Robinson took a stand against us, so far as concerned our presenting claims to be liquidated, by the

We took a stand against him, asserting our Constitutional rights— Brother Joseph maintained the ground in argument against him firmly, and respectfully setting forth the injuries that we have received and the appeals that we have made to the Judiciary of and also the : their refusals from time to time to do us justice: also the impracticability of doing any thing in the Judiciary Courts of — which tribunal Mr. Robinson thought was the only proper place for our claims, but he finally said it was his first impression on the subject; not having considered the matter, but would take it into further consideration— of the Senate made some remarks in our favor saying he would get the opinion of some of the prominent members of the Senate who were also Lawyers and would report to us, at the next meeting. We met this day according to appointment, and [p. 1001]