business pending, between the Trustee in Trust & Bro Wilkie, for the payme[n]ts due from the Prest Smith as Trustee in trust, To Bro Wilkie, & voted that go on a mission South to preach the Gospel. Also voted that the Twelve unite their influence to persuade the brethren to consecrate all the old notes deeds & obligations, which they hold againt each other, to the building of the in , & that write an Epistle in the name of the 12, on that subject, & publish it in the “Time & Seasons,” which he did as follows,” A “An Epistle (T&S, 767 &c. 769) Clerk”
<Military appointment, (Wasp P. 11) Joseph Smith Leiut General.>
<13> Wednesdy, I introduced Messrs , & Robinson into the Lodge Room in the morning. and , & in the P. M. <about 150 English saints Landed in from the Steamer Louisa, and about 60 from the amaranth,—>
<14> Thursday 14,— Esqr. Lawyer from , arrived and commenced an investigatien of the principles of General insolvency in my behalf, according to the Statutes, for the U S. Congress had previouly instituted a general Bankrupts Law, by which any every individual who was owing to a certain amount more than he was able to pay, could make over out a schedule of his property, & of his deabts due from himself, and by a certa specified process, pass the same in the hands of a commissioner, is govenment agent, <or “assignee”> who would make a dividind of all his effect. & pay his crediters whatever per-centage his propety amounted to, and then the individual was at liberty to start anew in the world.— and was not subject to liquidate any claims which were held agnst him previous to his insol[v]ancy, although his property might not have paid but the least percentage, <or none at all,> The Justice or injustice of such a principle in law, I leave for them who made it, the ; Suffice it say the law was just as good for a the Saints as for the Gentiles, And whither whether I would or not I was forced into the measure, by having been robbed, mobbed, plndered, & wasted of all my proprty Time after time, <in varios places> by the very ones who made the land, viz, the peoplee of the union , thereby having been obijed [obliged] to contract heavy debts to prevent the utter destrutien of myself, family, & frinds, & by there those who were justly & Legally owing me, taking the advantages of the same act of bankruptcy, so that I could not collect my just dues, thus leaving me no alternative but to become subject again [p. 9]