The petition of Joseph Smith respectfully showeth that he has come to for the purpose of being arrested upon the Warrant issued against him by upon the requisition of the of — and suing out a to test the validity of the arrest and the power of the to surrender him up to the Authorities of in this case— he is informed that the Persons who have the said Warrant have been duly directed by the to place the same in the hands of the of in order that your petitioner might be arrested thereon but that said direction has not been complied with— and that the said Warrant is now at in this — Your petioner therefore respectfully requests that another or an Warrant may be issued upon the said requisition and delevered to some person in this to be served in order that your petitioner may test the right of the of this to surrender your Petitioner to the of upon the said requisition, by habeas corpus. Your petitioner makes this request for the sole purpose of having this question settled by the Judicial Tribunals it being expresly understood that he waives none of his legal rights in making this request

Dated December 31. 1842. [p. [1]]