Elder George F. Gibbs,
42 Islington, Liverpool.
Dear Brother:
Your favor of the 2nd instant, with enclosures came duly to hand, many thanks. The detailed statement received for January is very complete in one sense, and then again in another it is not quite so clear. For instance, the £10.0.0 charged in your disbursements, paid to John Squires, was it paid to him on the draft he got from this Office? or have you paid him in full for that draft and let him have £10.0.0 besides? If you have paid the draft in full, then it is all right as it is, but if he has deposited the draft he got from here with you and is drawing against it, which I presume is the case, then you should say in your report, paid in draft No. --- favor of John Squires £10.0.0. The same I presume to be the case with C. Sansom, you will understand however that this is only supposition on my part, as I know they both got drafts on leaving here, and having no statement of the accounts previous to January I cannot tell positively, still I can hardly think that they have spent all of their drafts and are calling on you for help at this early date.
Please send us a statement of our drafts, paid by your Office, up to date, would also be pleased to received detailed statement for February and March at your earliest convenience.
If you can find time before leaving, please make us a Statement of all the accounts due the Liverpool Office on your books and bring the same with you. Should you not have the time to spare please ask Bro. John Clark to do so, as it is the desire of President Carrington, as well as myself to have the accounts collected so far as practicable and where probably allowances should be made for disbursements to Elders while travelling & preaching the Gospel (not tours to Ireland) to have the matter brought up before the First Presidency and have some understanding in relation thereto. We can then go to work understandingly and where persons have been helped and should pay back, we can "go for them". If they are to be allowed all they have drawn, or only part, all right, we can make the proper entries on the books and try to collect the balance where it is due. It would be well to have a column for remarks, and note pretty fully, so that a proper understanding of the accounts may be had.
Prest. A. C. thinks the House acct. and Petty Cash items in your statement of January are pretty stiff, but I told him it was not fair to draw conclusions for that month (such as new carpets, Curtains &c) that would not occur again in a long time.
I would be pleased to have you suggest to Prest. Smith, that as soon as the emigration is over this season, that he will have all the Conference Presidents use their efforts to learn from the saints in the Various districts where they preside, those who hold I. E. receipts from your Office getting the name and amount of each person, by this means we can get very near the amount that is really due the Saints, and although it will be considerable of a job, yet I think it will pay, in the end to do it, and will settle to a great extent this much vexed question of indebtedness due the people on these receipts.
I might also add, in a brotherly way, that I am pleased to see that you keep yourselves properly clothed, but let me also suggest to John C. and yourself, don't go it too steep, unless you intend to cover it with a draft. The amount of B. W. C's watch &c will be covered by draft, so A. C. informed me.
The President and Geo. A. are enjoying excellent health, they intend starting home on April 6th, and will preach in all the settlements on the way; the programe is to arrive here on the 21st. Pretty much all the preaching now, is on the order of Enoch, I understand a good many in the south are trying to live up to this order, and all who desire to enter into it and live their religion have the privilege to do so, I am not much posted, and shall not endeavor to enlighten you, as you have one with you who can do so far better than your humble servant.
We had a very severe snow storm here about a week ago, said to have been the heaviest fall of snow we have had for ten or twelve years, it was two feet deep in this City; for the last week it has been sunshine and rain alternatively; the roads are simply awful.
Work on the Temple here is progressing as usual, there is a large amount of rock already cut, and as soon as the weather is favorable will be put in place. You will find on your return that a great many fine improvements have been made during your absense.
Another suggestion I wish to make before closing it, that you do not keep any large amount of money on hand during the emigration season, as it can do you no good and will only help to cripple us on this side. If there should any large amount of drafts or I. E, receipts come in for any ships company, and you should be short for funds to pay the sea fares, you have only to draw a sight draft on Bro. Staines for the amount, which Mr. Ramsden will accept the same as the cash in hand, so you are perfectly safe all the time. It is only when the last company leaves that you need to be careful to keep a sufficient amount on hand to make you safe, for what small drafts or I. E. receipts may be called for during the winter. I shall depend on you to send enough money to Bro. Staines to forward the first Company.
Everything is moving along smoothly in the Office; the boys are all at their posts and desire to be kindly remembered to you. Give my regards to Bro. Graham, and tell him I will try and find time to write soon, should have done so before this, but was taken sick, with inflamation of the bowels and kidneys, the day after the Legislature adjourned and was confined to my room for three weeks. I think I got cold the morning the Legislature adjourned, having sat in a cold office, without any fire, for three hours, I was taken sick the same evening. I am now trying to make up for lost time and am very busy.
One great feature of improvement since you left, is, the lighting of the principle parts of the City with gas The Company have made it acomplete success. Your friend T. W. E. starts for California this afternoon on business connected with the Company.
Please remember me kindly to President Smith Bro. Clark and all enquiring friends, and accept my best wishes for your welfare and safe return. Hoping everything will move along smoothly in emigration matters and all other business connected with our Offices, for believe me I will at times use my best endeavors to accomplish this, while I have anything to say in the premises.
Presidents' Wells and Carrington desire to be kindly remembered to all.
Your Brother in the Gospel
James Jack