Skip to main content

Minutes, 30 October 1841, Copy

  1. Home > 
  2. The Papers > 

Minutes, 30 October 1841, Copy

Source Note

Nauvoo City Council, Minutes, , Hancock Co., IL, 30 Oct. 1841. Featured version copied [ca. 30 Oct. 1841] in Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, pp. 25–27; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 3 Feb. 1841–8 Feb. 1845.

Historical Introduction

On 30 October 1841 the City Council, including JS, met to address several issues. After holding intermittent meetings in summer 1841, the council resumed a more consistent meeting schedule in mid-October; they had already met twice before convening on 30 October 1841. At this meeting, council members discussed whether to remit the fine imposed on by a jury after his recent conviction for assault and battery before the Nauvoo mayor’s court. They also conversed about a variety of city planning issues, including an overdue report on a city cemetery, improving streets in Nauvoo, and the removal of a building in the city that had been declared a nuisance. The 30 October meeting also included the appointment and swearing in of several city officers.
, the city recorder, inscribed rough minutes of the 30 October meeting in a notebook. Sloan then used those original minutes to record the official minutes in the council’s ledger. Because the ledger contains a more comprehensive version of the council’s discussion and decisions and represents the official minutes, that is the version featured here.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    From the end of May to mid-October, the city council met only on 12 July and 4 September. (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 20–22.)

  2. [2]

    Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 16 and 23 Oct. 1841, 22–25.

  3. [3]

    Docket Entry, between 25 Oct. and ca. 29 Nov. 1841, State of Illinois v. Eagle (Nauvoo Mayor’s Ct. 1841), in Nauvoo Mayor’s Court Docket Book, 12.

  4. [4]

    Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, 30 Oct. 1841, 28–30.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. Minutes, 30 October 1841 Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, February–December 1841 *Minutes, 30 October 1841, Copy Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 1841–1845
Upon Motion of , it was carried that the Street east of Warsaw Street be openend from Parley Street to the Limits.
It was unanimously adopted <​that​> Counsellor at Law and be permitted to act as Lawyers in the discussion of the subject matter of the fine imposed upon .
It was moved & carried that the City Council have Jurisdiction and authority over all Fines imposed by the City officers whether in retaining or remitting them.
Colr. Joseph Smith moved & it was seconded that the Fine imposed upon be remitted.
spoke at considerable length, on the part of , to have the fine imposed upon him, remitted.
spoke at length upon the propriety of a Confirmation of the fine.
Several of the City Council spoke on the motion in debate, and it was carried that the Council adjourn for two Hours:— Council met pursuant to adjournment
& were appointed Counsellors, in the City Council.
, & were appointed Aldermen of the .
was appointed High Constable in the place of resigned.— for the 4th. Ward.
The Freedom of this City <​was​> Conferred upon Esqr., & Esqr..
& were sworn into office.
spoke on the case of .
Esq. spoke on the same Case.
The spoke to a considerable length.
Colrs. J. Smith, & both spoke at length,
It was carried, by vote, that the Fine stand, & be, not Mitigated.
was Sworn, as High Constable. [p. 26]
View entire transcript

|

Cite this page

Source Note

Document Transcript

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Minutes, 30 October 1841, Copy
ID #
10305
Total Pages
3
Print Volume Location
JSP, D8:339–342
Handwriting on This Page
  • James Sloan

Footnotes

  1. [6]

    The street immediately east of Warsaw Street appears to have been Rich Street. (See map of Nauvoo, Illinois.)

  2. [7]

    At the city council meeting held on 16 October 1841, John Barnett motioned “that some work be done on Parley Street, and the Street opened,” and the motion was carried. This proposal to work on another street suggests that the city was interested in continuing to improve the area. (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 16 Oct. 1841, 22.)

  3. [8]

    On 23 October 1841, the city council condemned a “grog shop,” owned by Pulaski Cahoon and John Eagle and located on the hill near the temple lot, as a nuisance. Two days later, two companies of the Nauvoo Legion destroyed the building, and in the process, Eagle became involved in an altercation with one of the troops, John Scott. Eagle was charged with assault and battery. A jury in the mayor’s court found him guilty of the charge and ordered him to pay a fine of $65 plus costs. Stiles, acting as Eagle’s attorney, asked the city council on 30 October to remit “the fine returned by the jury.” The council, advised by Emmons, voted against remitting the fine. Eagle may have also violated a Nauvoo city ordinance that prohibited all persons and establishments from “vending Whiskey in a less quantity than a Gallon, or other Spirituous Liquors in a less quantity than a quart, to any Person whatever, excepting” someone with a doctor’s recommendation. According to a later source, Eagle threatened JS when he tried to summon Eagle to appear in court for violating the ordinance. (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 15 Feb. 1841, 8; Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, 23 and 30 Oct. 1841, 26, 28–30; Woodruff, Journal, 30 Oct. 1841; and Docket Entry, between 25 Oct. and ca. 29 Nov. 1841, State of Illinois v. Eagle [Nauvoo Mayor’s Ct. 1841], in Nauvoo Mayor’s Court Docket Book, 12; Osborn, Reminiscences and Journal, 66.)

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

    Osborn, David. Reminiscences and Journal, 1860–1893. CHL. MS 1653.

  4. [9]

    All three men were apostles. Woodruff wrote in his journal that he was notified of this appointment on the morning of 30 October. (Woodruff, Journal, 30 Oct. 1841.)

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

  5. [10]

    Conferring the “freedom of the city” was a symbolic gesture of trust and friendship granted to distinguished visitors of a city. It encouraged them to freely move about the city as they pleased. “Freedom of the city” had been previously granted to Stephen A. Douglas. Sylvester Emmons and George Stiles were both attorneys visiting Nauvoo at this time. Each of them later served in Nauvoo city government in different capacities. (Letter to Editors, 6 May 1841; Illustrated Atlas Map of Cass County, Illinois, 23, 40.)

    Illustrated Atlas Map of Cass County, Illinois, Carefully Compiled from Personal Examinations and Surveys. [Edwardsville, IL]: W. R. Brink and Co., 1874.

  6. [11]

    Though JS motioned earlier in the meeting to have Eagle’s fine remitted, he appears to have changed his mind. According to a later history, JS “attended——the City Council and spoke against the Council’s remitting a fine assessed against John Eagle by a Jury of twelve men considering that the Jury might be as sensible men as any of the City Council and . . . asked the Council not to remit the fine.” (JS History, vol. C-1, 1242.)

Go to page