The Brigham Young Center

Great Salt Lake City, Jan. 18, 1864

Hon. H. W. Carpentier,
San Francisco, California

Dear Sir:-
 
I was pleased to learn, from your favor of the 13th inst., that the action of the assembly in relation to exclusive legislation, for the present has not discouraged you in planning and laboring for such extention of telegraphic facilities as will be benificial to the public and, sooner or later, remuneration to the company. So far as lines within this Territory are concerned the Assembly, no doubt, felt well assured that the good will of themselves and their constituents toward such enterprises was, with the laws already enacted upon the subject, sufficient guarantee that their rights should not be infringed upon, at any rate not before further experience upon, to them, so new a subject should enable them to legislate upon this subject as they may deem most expedient and equitable for all parties, giving preference to those first in the field. We also trust to see the time when we shall be free to legislate most fully on telegraphic matters.

I am willing to comply with the desire of the company that the work of constructing such lines as they may determine upon within our borders "be done under my direction," and deem the addition of twenty five per cent to the cost sufficiently liberal.

Of courst the terms for frieghting were understood--by the Company to be based upon coin as the standard, after the custom of California, and, so far as the figures are concerned, will of necessity vary with the difference between coin and currency at the time and place of payment.

Please present my thanks to the Board of Directors for the confidence they expressed in their unanimous vote concerning the direction of the offices and affairs of the Company in this Territory, and an assurance of my candid co-operation so far as occasion may require.

With kind regards I subscribe myself,

Very Respectfully,

Your Friend,