42 Sate.
36, Islington, Liverpool
Oct 31st 1856
President B. Young
Dear Brother Your letter of Augt. 30th was received on the 23rd Oct. last.
Your orders for Articles for manufacturing lace shall be attended to—the articles will most likely be forwarded with the goods sent on the Standing Order.
Your suggestions respecting the heading of the “Star” will be cheerfully complied with;- Indeed I suggested a change when I first came here, but it was finally decided to let the heading remain until the close of the present volume and then make the alteration, and in as much as there is but 6 or 7 numbers now, it will perhaps be as well to do so.
I wrote you on the 30th of Sept naming certain items of business upon which I desired instructions. Since then I have accepted Erastus Snow’s drafts for £1700. on faith that I shall be able to meet them at maturity. £500 at 60. & £1200 at 90 days sight. These were renewals of some of Bro Spencers rejected drafts.
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I may here remark that it would have been impossible to have borrowed the money to have met those drafts at the time. The country has been raked from end, to end, and all the money raised that could be will get hold of to forward the last season’s Emigration.
I do not think that with every exertion we can make it will be possible to clear off the home, and foreign liabilities this office (including those drafts that have been rejected & which will undoubtedly have to be eventually paid here) Sooner the last of the year 1857.
There is not prospect for selling property: the wealthiest saints having generally emigrated, it is difficult to find those who are both able and willing to purchase. We have succeeded in disposing as yet of only,- “Prst B Young’s log house & lot opposite Kays $300. Prst HG Kimball’s 40 acres survey near Boylaws as Fort 300. Thomas Ferry’s 10 acres Little Cottonwood. Union Fort Jordan Bigfield for $70.-
Brother Benson has been very diligent in visiting the Saints in the different conferences and stirring them up to raise means as fast as possible to meet our [page break] liabilities. He succeeded in raising £500. in Scandinavia including £64 for the log house and lot above mentioned. He is now in Wales endeavoring to stir them up there. I am happy to day that the Pastors, Presidents and people are heart and hand with us and will all in their power to help us in this emergency.
When I was here in 1830 there was about 27000 Saints and about 5000 Stars published at 2 each, and yielded a great profit. at that time the price was reduced to 71 pr hundred and the subscriptions raised to about 23000 and remained at that for several years; this also yielded a good profit. Since then the subscriptions have decreased to about 7000 but the price still remains at 71 per hundred, and but very little more than defrays the expenses of publication, the profits do not amount to enough to pay the Clerks of the office. It would not do to raise the price now, after remaining at 71 so long. All the profits we can rely upon for business operations arise, then, from the sale of other publications and emigration. Of those publications the book of Mormon, Doct & Covt., & Hymnbook are the principal. These books having already had a very general and extended [page break]circulation, the profits arising then there from are comparatively small. There have heretofore been considerable profits arising from the Emigration; but unless there are large additions to the Church, I do not anticipate very heavy emigrations for a year or two to come, the wealthiest saints having already as before stated emigrated – I shall harness their every nerve & do all in my power to raise means to meet your wishes & carry out your wishes views .
Since my last I have received advices from F. D. Richards and Daniel Spencer at Florence, and have debited the church account as follows.
To Freight paid on case marked 112 from N York £ 4. 12. 4
” Freight from Boston & duty on case
Marked JAY “Horizon” 6. 9. 10
Amt Paid Gornsby … for harness for J.A. Young 7. 12. 10
” Paid for horses & for J.A. Young 40. 14 .6
” Paid for Mules Wagon 16 for J.A. Young 78. 6. 2
” Freight and duty on Piano
For H. C. Kimball 12. 14. 2
amt. expended on church trains 312. 1. 3
I have also debited the Tithing aforwith,
Freight on goods from Boston – “Horizon” 3. 4. 6
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To Paid John Taylor N York for duties on goods
marked [unreadable] 76. 5. 2
“ Paid as for remaining cash 6.12. 4
Also P.E. Fund C op Dr.
To expenses of P. E. Fund Passengers from
Coast til date Sept 3rd 11821. 4. 7
” Amt paid at Castle garden for J Taylor on
P. E. Fund Passengers 21.11.9
” Loss on exchanges 47.2.4 ¾
By Amt Recd from J. Van Cott for Freight,
of baggage charges in P E.F. a/c 5.18.11
By Portion of Surplus provisions from Thornton 134.11.5
“ “ “ “ Henjon 167.11.5
The Balance of the debit of the P E Fund for in a/c with this office is over £15000.00 The following described property sent out by me for sale, has no price attached, and I do not feel authorized to offer it for sale, not being at all acquainted with the property or its value. James Stratton house & part of lot in [unreadable] Ward
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John Alger House & part of lot in the 16th Ward
H C. Haight (wife) 35 acres of land on Kay’s Ward.
I shall endeavor to get the emigration off earlier in the spring if possible, than it was this last season; and unless I receive instructions to the contrary from you shall [unreadable] the basis for the hand cart operations; having been assured by Brother Richards that in all probability this last seasons operations will come within that amount.
I understand from your instructions to me, that all the profits of the emigration department are to accrue to the Church. In view of this, I have been constrained to reject an item of $211.56 in Brother Taylor’s a/c just received bring 11 pr cent (which he has charged this office) of the amount realized from the sale of the surplus provisions in New York and Boston, deeming it proper that the charge should be for the amount only, of expenses actually incurred in effecting the sale, and not in the shape of the Commission or percentage. If I have taken an incorrect view of the subject, please counsel me in relation to it, as my only desire is to carry out your
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instruction faithfully.
I expect there will be at least a shipload of Saints from Scandinavia this coming season.
I have chartered the ship Columbia to sail for New York on the 17th Novr with about 200 Saints.
In anticipation of Brother Little’s return in the spring – We have thought proper to call Brother John A. Ray into the Editorial department of the office that he may be prepared to take his place.
The Brethren Measor & Schonfield who were banished from Dresden Saxony are in London & doing a good work among the Germany and Danes there, have awakened quite an interest among them, baptized quite a number, and organized a branch. The work is progressing also in Dresden in spite of the opposition of the Priests & police, under the direction of Elder Measer President of that Mission.
Permit us to suggest the propriety of sending some good man who is acquainted with both the English and Welsh languages to take the Presidency of the Welsh Saints <& publications> and relieve [page break] Brother Daniel Daniels who has already been in this country over 4 years?
Almenon Grow has run rather a short race here. He was appointed to labor in Ireland on his arrival in August. About the Middle of September I received a letter from him requesting permission to marry. I immediately returned an answer giving him the permission upon certain conditions, and communicated the same to Elder Scott President of the Irish Mission. In the mean time he got anxious & would not wait for the answer or to publish the bans, but got an ignorant Elder who I am informed he ordained for that purpose, to perform the ceremony, and then left his field of labor without knowledge or permission of his President and in about 8 or 10 days made his way to this place through Scotland bringing his wife with him. In the mean time he was disfellowshiped by the [unreadable] Conference. Upon his promising information, we concluded to give him an other trials & rebaptized & ordained him and sent him to labor in Sheffield under Brother William G. Young when he immediately commensed
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by setting the Priesthood at defiance & preaching false doctrine, manefisting then as he had done in Ireland a rebellious Spirt and and expressing a determination to be subject to no authority in this Country. At the Sheffield conference on the 19th Oct. his case was brot before Brother Beenson and Little and he was again disfellowshiped. He finally returned here and manifestd such rebellions spint that I cut him from the church entirely. The next day he begged so hard to be baptized again that I finally consented, but did not again confer upon the priesthood; I counselled him to return to the vally as soon as possible; he left here for London this day [unreadable] since which I have not heard from him. I have done all in my power to save him.
On the 17th I returned from a visit to London where I had spent a week very pleasantly & I trust profitably, having preached every evening but one.
I am happy to say that there is an increasing and general interest manifested throughout the country to hear our doctrine and the prospect looks favorable for a large increase to our numbers, baptisms are becoming more numerous. I have taken measures to have the printed word extensively circulated, and believe that much good will result therefrom
I remain as ever your Brother in Covenant
Orson Pratt
P.S. I have received £100 of John Dasling for Robert Riley. Shall send the money in the Spring the first opportunity.
[Transcribed by Nora Fowers, Barbara Manning, Sylvia Hill, Morris Pratt, Erin McAllister, and Julia Winfield, Mar. 2010]
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