Whereas the State of at sundry times has unconstitutionally deprived a certain portion of her citizens (called Mormons) of their rights property, lands and even of their lives: And whereas in the years 1838 and 1839 the said State of did illegally and inhumanly exile and banish for ever from her limits and jurisdiction, all the said Citizens (called Mormons) that remained alive, with impunity; And whereas the said exiled Mormons after being hospitably received by the citizens of , the said State of , did enact, grant and charter for the benefit and convenience of the said exiled Mormons as follows:

An Act to incorporate the City of Nauvoo

Section 1 Be it enacted by the People of the State of , represented in the General Assembly, That all that district of country embraced within the following boundaries, to wit; beginning at the north east corner of section thirty one, in township seven, north of range eight, west of the fourth principal meridian, in the County of , and running thence west to the northwest corner of said section; thence north to the ; thence west to the middle of the Main Channel of the said ; thence down the middle of said Channel to a point due west of the south east corner of fractional section number twelve, in township six, north of range nine, west of the fourth principal meridian; thence east to the south east corner of said section twelve; thence north on the range line between township six north and range eight and nine west, to the southwest corner of section six, in township six, north of range eight west; thence east to the southest corner of said section; thence north to the place of beginning; including the town plats of and , shall hereafter be called, and known, by the name of the “City of ”, and the inhabitants thereof are hereby constituted a body corporate and politic by the name aforesaid, and shall have perpetual succession, and may have, and use, a common seal, which they may change and alter at pleasure— [p. [15]]