G. S. L. City, March 28, 1861.
Hon. W. H. Hooper, M. C.,
Washington City, D. C.,
Dear Brother:-The mail on the 24th inst. brought your welcome favor of Feb. 26; and the pony on the 25th brought your interesting letter of the 9th inst., and Washington and St Louis dates of the 17th and 18th.
The pony of the 26th inst. took to you an order from our Territorial Treasurer, David O. Calder, on the Secretary of the Treasury, for the amount appropriated by Congress to reimburse Utah for expenses incurred in suppressing Indian hostilities in 1853. A copy of the Bill appropriating said money, as furnished in yours of the 9th, was included in said order. Should you succeed in getting the whole or any portion of said money, circumstances compel me to request you to carefully keep it subject to my orders. Our necessities, and the scarcity of money with us, require this course; and I trust that you will not deposit the money in any bank, public or private, or in any other place where there will be a clear chance of its being lost. If you ask, "how shall I keep it safe?" Put it in your own safe, in some one's secure vault.
Judge Kinney, and br's Henry W. Lawrence and William S. Godbe start for the States in the Stage to-morrow. To relieve you in your many labors and cares, I have got br. Henry in addition to his private business, to take the few bills we feel able to forward this season, and make the purchases, &c. The small amount of money we are able to send, will be sent by the first safe opportunity, it not being deemed prudent for him to take it with him.
A former letter, inclosing the printing bills, and my last of Feb. 21, and the explanations onthe new copies forwarded with said bills, contain all the information that could be had at the respective dates. The printing bill, accompanying yours of the 9th, will probably be ready to return by next mail; had it been a matter within my management, I would have endeavoured to have forwarded it by this mail.
Isaac Sutton has deposited $30.00 to defray the passage of Thomas and Sophia Davis from Brooklyn, N. Y., to Florence. Their address is, "Thomas and Sophia Davis, at Mrs. Startin's, No 107 High street, Brooklyn, N. Y.", and I wish you to notify them of the above deposit, and advise them to arrange to be in Florence by the last of June, in readiness to cross the plains, as provision will be made for their transportation from Florence, to the amount of $30.00, and reimburse yourself from the appropriation for 1853, if to be had, or get it from br. Henry W. Lawrence, should you need it.
If you succeed in getting the money on the appropriation for 1853, or a portion thereof, I trust you will be able to buy the carriage and carpetting, as heretofore advised, and a roll of wax cloth; to be 8 feet wide, and from 30 to 50 feet long, and have the articles marked in your own name, as already requested, and forwarded to Florence by the 1st of July, or in time for our down train, otherwise do not purchase. The 200 and odd four yoke teams will probably reach Florence by about that time, and you are aware that it is best for them to load up and start back at once, so far as practicable.
The steam boiler bought last year by br. Horace S. Eldredge, for the paper machine, and now in Florence, or some where else, I do not wish brought on, for we can do without it.
We like Mr. Lincoln's inaugural address very well, and wish you to call his attention to that portion in which he claims to be the President of the whole people, and ask him whether he purposes ruling as a father or a tyrant. If he replies "as a father," ask him to appoint our officers from the list in your possession, or else appoint none, and continue none now in office here, except Judge Kinney, and to by no means permit Postmaster Morrell to return here officially. If we cannot have our officers appointed from actual residents among us, which is but right, we had much rather have none.
Latest advices inform us that Elders Lyman, Rich, and Cannon were vigorously prosecuting their duties in England, with incouraging prospects. Neither br. George Q. nor br's Jones and Gates have as yet been able to inform us how many cattle our this year's immigration will want to purchase, nor do I yet know how many will be sent from here, but presume, as heretofore, that there will be enough to be of considerable mutual benefit.
Capt. W. M. Gibson arrived in San Francisco on the 24th ult., in good health and spirits. After some six weeks of very pleasant weather for out-door labors, a large amount of which was done, we are now being blest with a very timely equinoctial storm, which is very thoroughly soaking the soil.
Further than herein before written, home affairs, health, and general good feeling and prosperity continue as last advised, except that br. Hosea Stout has an attack by erysipelas.
We shall give br Henry W. Lawrence an order on you for some 10 or 12,000 dollars, more or less, to enable him to pay for the purchases already mentioned, which you will have no trouble in meeting, if you succeed in collecting br. Calder's order.
Your Brother in the Gospel,
Brigham Young