G. S. L. City
March 5th 1863.
Pres. George Q. Cannon,
42 Islington, Liverpool, England.
Dear Brother:-
I wrote you at some length on the 13th inst. since which time it has been concluded to again send br. H. S. Eldredge to the States to take the oversight of the affairs of our this seasons immigration, &c. To aid him in the performance of his duties, I wish you, at the earliest practicable date, to furnish him the nearest probable number of those who expect to come from abroad this year-- from the British Isles, Scandinavia &c. also designating the number that will need help to cross the plains. Address your letter to H. S. Eldredge, P. O. Box 3957, New York City. The Bishops are now busy in raising 500 four-yoke ox teams to go to Florence, mostly to assist our immigration, and to start from here as near the 25 of April as the weather &c will permit. While we are making such efforts here I have thought it well to suggest to you to advise at least all who have not means of their own sufficient to pay their expences clear here, to dispose of all unprofitable and useless luggage before they start from their homes, for they had better even give it away than undertake to bring it here. And in packing so far as practicable, it is much better, on the score of economy and future use to use sacks rather than boxes and trunks. Lest some useless baggage gets abroad, notwithstanding your advice and precautions, please instruct the Captain and his counselors of each ship's company to examine the baggage and the surplus that any save from their rations on shipboard as soon as they arrive at New York that a judicious disposition may be made thereof in New York, and thus prevent the brethren's arriving in Florence with old heavy boxes and trunks, and sending unprofitable articals that they cannot there dispose of nor bring father, but have to throw away after having paid freight thereon. Where persons are able to pay their way through they do not always kindly receive advice as to what they had better bring, but they also would do well to receive good advice and exercise sound judgement in the selection of articals that are to be transported so great a distance.
Br. Richard Benson, of Parowan, informs me that he has sent an order to Mr. Bendle of Carlisle, Cumberland," to pay you L140, subject to my order. When said sum is paid to you, if in time please forward it to br. H. S. Eldredge, to be by him used in the States as I have advised him. If convenient, br. Eldredge would like to have you forward the L140 in a separate letter of credit.
In appointing Captains and their Counselors of ships' companies I would like to have you so far careful in the selection as not to appoint any one who will be likely to get intoxicated; and it would be better still, if possible to exclusively appoint those who do not drink any intoxicating liquor, for they certainly should not be very apt to get drunk.
Money, sugar, tea, and Coffee are scarce here; and the three last named articals are so high priced that many, some from choice, and others from necessity, are dispensing with their use, though to a very advantage substituting home made molasses for sugar. Such being the case, and being ancious to gather many as the funds will permit, it is quite probable that the grocery outfit for those to be assisted will have to be confined to a very moderate amount, to be used in cases of sickness or extra exposure and fatigue.
The few troops on the bench keep very quiet and to themselves; and it is presumeable that a plenty to do in the States will prevent the carrying out of the original design in their being here, at least for the present, for the p[word cut off] port of dispatches indicates that they will have use for the few here and many more, in other places than Utah.
Gov. Harding and Judges Waite and Drake having been doing their utmost to stir up strife and mischief between Utah and the General Government, proof thereof having come to hand, on the 3rd inst. A [type faded] meeting of some 3000 convened [word cut off] and around the Tabernacle to take action on their course Harding's Message [word cut off] the Legislative Assembly and some extracts from letters touching the subject were read, and a few pertinent remarks were made by br. John Taylor and myself when resolutions expressive of the sense of the meeting were presented, read and unanimously adopted, as also a petition to President Lincoln for their [word cut off] removal from office, and a committee appointed to wait upon Harding Waite and Drake and inform them of the proceedings of the meeting. Full details of the meeting are printed in this weeks news. The Committee, on the following morning called upon Gov. Harding, who received them courteously, but said he would not resign and leave until removed by President Lincoln. Judge Drake was present, and, upon being asked whether he accepted the notification of the committee, he delivered himself of a short, virulent tirade, Judge Waite not being at home, the committee left with his wife a communication for him. The petition for removal was, in a few hours, signed by a double column of names almost three rods long. That number could have been increased to nearly the entire population of the Territory, but it was deemed sufficient.
Since writing the foregoing your very welcome letter of Jan. 23 has come to had cheering us with the news of the good health of yourself and the brethren, and of the general prosperity of the work abroad.
The English and Scandinavian Tithing Lists you mention came safely to hand, and, being handed to br. Calder, on their arrival acknowledgement of their receipt was accidentally neglected.
I am pleased that you visite the Conferences so far as Office duties will permit, for I doubt not your visits will be invariably followed by benificial results. I also coincide with your suggestions to br. Jesse N. Smith in regard to the rates for the Scandinavian emigration, and approve your reasons for those suggestions, as, where both routs have certain advantages, it may better please the parties to exercise their choice.
An open winter is tapering into seasonable spring weather, and peace and improvement are among the many blessings of our "Mountain Home."
My health and that of my family is good, as is also the health of your family, Brigham's br. West's and the brethrens generally, so far as I am advised.
God bless you and all associated with you in the advancement of truth on the earth.
Your Brother in the Gospel,
Brigham Young