President's Office,
Salt Lake City, U. T.
July 28. 1869
Elder A. Carrington,
42 Islington, Liverpool, England.
Dear Bro:-
The President's drafts on you, in consequence of being liable to so many irregularities and changes in the past, have, as you are aware, been changed in the wording, so that money received at this office connected with emigration matters, takes one of two courses. It is received as a donation to the P. E. F. Co., or it is received as a business transaction, subject to proper business regulations; in short -- it is donation, or business! If the latter, a draft is drawn to the order of the person who buys the draft, and by him endorsed to whom he pleases. Hence the eventual disposition of all such drafts is between the buyer of said draft and the Liverpool office in case any change of endorsement, or disposition is requested, and is subject to the proper mercantile rules in such cases; and that no liability be incurred of having to pay the money twice as has been the case sometimes, proper care should be taken to have the drafts legitimately endorsed, or conclusive authority for payment, to be duly receipted when paid. Whenever changes are desired by the buyer in writing to be made in any endorsement, and you should happen to hold said draft, it will doubtless be right to accommodate to the utmost that you reasonably can, but so long as the indorse holds such draft, the case is between the indorser and the Indorsee; and if the buyer "repent him" of sending money to such person we cannot help it, as he could have donated the money to the Fund, and nominated whom he chose to come out, the immigrant returning the outlay to the Fund, thereby making it Perpetual! If persons buying drafts at this office are unwilling to trust their friends with the money, but are desirous to help them out, and yet will not donate the money to the Fund, there is the alternative of placing such drafts in direct possession of the Lpool Office; and if said office are willing and able to carry out their wishes, modifying and changing the disposition of such drafts as may be required from time to time, it is you and them for it, as it is beyond the direct control of the drawer of the draft here. Consequently changes in the endorsement of such drafts, if made, can be made without the intervention of this office, but sh'd be done so as to not have to be paid more than once. I have given much thought to this subject and am compelled to the above conclusions which are in full accord with President Young's decision, copy of which I mailed you on the 10th inst.
Your bro. in the Gospel
T. W. Ellerbeck
Chf Clk T. in Trust