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Minutes, 13 November 1841, Copy

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Minutes, 13 November 1841, Copy

Source Note

Nauvoo City Council, Minutes, , Hancock Co., IL, 13 Nov. 1841. Featured version copied [ca. 13 Nov. 1841] in Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 29–32; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 1841–1845.

Historical Introduction

On the evening of 13 November 1841 in , Illinois, JS attended and participated in a meeting of the Nauvoo City Council, which met at ’s office to conduct a variety of business matters. For example, JS, one of the city councilors, presented three new city ordinances that were then passed by the council: one regarding financial liabilities assumed by those appealing cases from the mayor’s court, one regarding the salaries of city officers, and one concerning vagrants and disorderly people.
Recorder took rough minutes during the meeting in a notebook and then used those original minutes to record the official minutes in the city council’s ledger book; that is the version featured here.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    The Nauvoo City Council had been meeting at Hyrum Smith’s office in Nauvoo since 23 October 1841. (See Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 16 and 23 Oct. 1841, 23–24.)

  2. [2]

    See Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, 13 Nov. 1841, 39–40. It is possible that this official ledger book is one of the “books of record” that Sloan in an earlier meeting had requested the city council purchase. At the 13 November meeting, described in the minutes featured here, the council agreed to provide record books and other clerical supplies to Sloan. (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 6 Nov. 1841, 28–29; Hyrum Smith and John P. Greene, Committee Report, Nauvoo, IL, [between 6 and 13 Nov. 1841], Nauvoo, IL, Records, CHL.)

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. Minutes, 13 November 1841 Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, February–December 1841 Minutes, 13 November 1841, Copy Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 1841–1845
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Page 32

The gave an explination of the Rights, & powers, given by the City Charter, & the right of the City Council to Tax the Citizens.
Colr. J. Smith spoke to considerable length, on the Subject of the right of Taxation, & the Taxation laid on by the , & so forth. Upon which the Motion was withdrawn.
moved that all Dogs in the , be assessed Five Dollars per Head.
Colr. J. Smith proposed an amendment, that it be 12½ Cents each. After considerable discussions, the amendment was lost by vote.— Origl. Motion, also Lost.
Adjourned to Saturday next, at 6 OClock, to same place
Novr. 13th. 1841.
, Mayor.
, Recorder. [p. 32]
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Source Note

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Page 32

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Minutes, 13 November 1841, Copy
ID #
10306
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D8:362–366
Handwriting on This Page
  • James Sloan

Footnotes

  1. [13]

    According to section 8 of the Nauvoo city charter, the city council had “authority to levy and collect taxes for city purposes upon all property, real and personal, within the limits of the city, not exceeding one half per cent per annum, upon the assessed value thereof, and may enforce the payment of the same in any manner to be provided by ordinance.” (Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo, 16 Dec. 1840.)

  2. [14]

    According to a later JS history, at this meeting JS “argued before the Council the right of Taxation, but that the expences of the City did not require it at present.” (JS History, vol. C-1, 1244.)

  3. [15]

    Many councilors opposed taxing people for keeping dogs. According to the rough minutes of this meeting, JS, who was himself a dog owner, spoke at length against taxing dog owners, and Brigham Young called for a progressive tax, basing the amount taxed on the dog’s value rather than imposing a flat tax. (Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, 13 Nov. 1841, 40.)

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