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Revised Committee Appointments, 11 February–circa 10 June 1843, as Recorded in Nauvoo City Council Minute Book

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Revised Committee Appointments, 11 February–circa 10 June 1843, as Recorded in Nauvoo City Council Minute Book

Source Note

JS as mayor, Revised Committee Appointments, , Hancock Co., IL, 11 Feb.–ca. 10 June 1843. Featured version copied [between 11 May and 30 July 1843] in Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, pp. 159–160; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 1841–1845.

Historical Introduction

JS, acting as mayor of , Illinois, appointed members of the Nauvoo City Council to various standing committees on 11 February 1843. The “Rules of Order of the City Council of the City of Nauvoo,” adopted in January 1842, stated that all of the council’s standing committees, which were created to oversee major aspects of city governance, were to be “appointed by the mayor.” The rules stipulated that certain committees—the committees of Ways and Means, Improvements, Police, and Public Grounds—were to consist of one council member from each of the four political wards in the city, while other committees each consisted of a set number of council members with no regard to the wards in which they lived. In several instances, the number of council members JS appointed to a committee did not match the number or ward representation stipulated by the rules. However, there is no record of objections to his appointments on these grounds.
On 6 February 1843, an election was held for officers of the city council. JS, who had replaced as city mayor in May 1842, was elected to continue in that position. Sometime during the next five days, JS determined which city council members would serve on each of the council’s standing committees. On 11 February, following their swearing-in ceremony and the appointment of city officers but before giving his inaugural address, JS informed the city council members of their committee appointments.
City recorder apparently noted the appointment of the new standing committees during the day’s city council meeting and shortly thereafter copied a more detailed record into the City Council Minute Book as part of the minutes for business that the city council conducted. Many of the committees received assignments later that same day.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 22 Jan. 1842, 45–51.

  2. [2]

    JS, Journal, 6 Feb. 1843.

  3. [3]

    “City Election,” Wasp, 8 Feb. 1843, [2].

    The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.

  4. [4]

    Oath, 11 Feb. 1843; Discourse, 11 Feb. 1843; JS, Journal, 11 Feb. 1843; Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, 11 Feb. 1843, 6–8.

  5. [5]

    Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, 11 Feb. 1843, 7–8.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. Committee Appointments, 11 February 1843 Revised Committee Appointments, 11 February–circa 10 June 1843 *Revised Committee Appointments, 11 February–circa 10 June 1843, as Recorded in Nauvoo City Council Minute Book *Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 1841–1845
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Page 160

of Improvements. of Municipal Laws.
. .
. .
. .
of Claims. of public Grounds.
. .
. .
. .
of unfinished business. of public Works.
. .
. .
. .
of Elections. of Finance.
. .
. .
. .
feb.y. 11th. 1843
Joseph Smith, Mayor.
, Recorder. [p. 160]
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Source Note

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Page 160

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Revised Committee Appointments, 11 February–circa 10 June 1843, as Recorded in Nauvoo City Council Minute Book
ID #
8418
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D11:415–418
Handwriting on This Page
  • James Sloan

Footnotes

  1. [3]

    The Committee of Improvements was “to consist of One Member from each Ward, to whom shall be referred all Subjects relative to Repairs and opening of Roads & Streets, & other Subjects of a similar nature.” All three committee members lived in the Fourth Ward. (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 22 Jan. 1842, 50; Platt, Nauvoo, 77, 90, 92.)

    Platt, Lyman De. Nauvoo: Early Mormon Records Series, 1839–1846. Vol. 1. Highland, UT, 1980.

  2. [4]

    The Committee of Municipal Laws was “to consist of five Members, to whom shall be referred all Bills for Ordinances presented to the Council.” (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 22 Jan. 1842, 51.)

  3. [5]

    The Committee of Claims was “to consist of three Members to whom shall be referred all Matters of claims against the City, & applications for remission of Penalties.” (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 22 Jan. 1842, 50.)

  4. [6]

    The Committee of Public Grounds was “to consist of One Member from each Ward.” Smith and Bennett lived in the Fourth Ward. The precise location of Warrington’s residence is unknown, but he owned land in both the Second and Third wards. (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 22 Jan. 1842, 51; Platt, Nauvoo, 77, 90; Book of Assessment, 1842, Second Ward, 18; Book of Assessment, 1842, Third Ward, 23, Nauvoo, IL, Records, CHL.)

    Platt, Lyman De. Nauvoo: Early Mormon Records Series, 1839–1846. Vol. 1. Highland, UT, 1980.

    Nauvoo, IL, Records, 1841–1845. CHL.

  5. [7]

    The Committee of Unfinished Business was “to consist of two Members, who shall examine the Journal of the preceding Council, & report such business as may have remained unfinished.” (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 22 Jan. 1842, 51.)

  6. [8]

    The Committee of Public Works was “to consist of three Members.” (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 22 Jan. 1842, 51.)

  7. [9]

    The Committee of Elections was “to consist of Three Members.” (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 22 Jan. 1842, 51.)

  8. [10]

    No description of the Committee of Finance appears in the “Rules of Order of the City Council of the City of Nauvoo,” although it was a functioning committee. (Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 15 and 22 Jan. 1842, 41, 50–51.)

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