Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 26 March 1844
Source Note
JS, Memorial, , Hancock Co., IL, to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, , 26 Mar. 1844; handwriting of with insertions by Orson Hyde; signed by JS; docket in unidentified handwriting; three pages; Record Group 46, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington DC.
Sec. 1. Be it ordained <enacted> by the Senateand House of Representativesof the of Americain Congress assembled, that Joseph Smith of the City of , in the State of , is hereby authorized and empowered to raise a Company of one hundred thousand armed volunteers, in the and Territories at such times and places, and in such numbers, as he shall find necessary and convenient for the purposes of specified in the foregoing preamble; and to execute the same.
Sec. 2. And be it further ordained <enacted> that if any person or persons shall hinder or attempt to hinder or molest the said Joseph Smith, from executing his designs in raising said volunteers, and marching or transporting the same to the borders of the and territories, he or they so hindering, molesting, or offending, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars each, for every offence; or by hard labor on some public work not exceeding two years, or both, at the discretion of the nearest District Court of the where the hindrance or offence shall be committed. <having jurisdiction.>
Sec. 3. And be it further ordained the more fully to remove all obstructions and hindrances to the raising, enlisting, and marching the volunteers as aforesaid, the said Joseph Smith is hereby constituted a Member of the Army of the and is authorized to act as such in the and Territories, and on all lands bordering upon the and Territories for the purposes specified in the foregoing preamble, provided said land shall not be within the acknowledged jurisdiction of any acknowledged National Government
Sec 4. <3.> And be it further ordained <enacted> that nothing in this Ordinance <act> shall be so construed by any individual or nation, as to consider the Volunteers aforesaid, as constituting any part of the Army of the ; neither shall the said Joseph Smith, as a Member of the United States Army disturb the peace of any nation or government, acknowledged as such: break the faith of treaties between the and any other Nation or violate any known law of nations, thereby endangering the peace of the
Sec. 5. And be it further ordained <enacted>, that the said Joseph Smith shall confine his operations to those principles of action specified in the Preamble to this Ordinance <act>, the perpetuity of which shall be commensurate with the circumstances and specifications which have originated it.