I have the pleasure to acknowledge the receipt
of your letters ^dated^ at Bordentown & New York, as well as three
letters from your friend Mr Carter to member of Congress.
The petition for a territorial government to which the signa-
tures are affixed will not be presented to Congress, but
the memorial accompanying the Constitution which asks
for our admission as a state, or for such other form of
government as Congress may grant us—I had a long
and pleasant interview with jude Douglass the other
evening, and his advice was to apply for admission
as a state or for a territorial government, and leave
the alternative with Congress which to give us, he said
this would show our readiness to defray the expenses
of a state government, and our willingness to accept
a territorial government, that this course would be manly
and honorable—From the intercourse I have had
with members of Congress, I am pretty well satisfied
that we shall not get anything more than a territorial
government, in this event I shall do all I can to have
President Young appointed governor, and such other
officers as will be acceptable to the people—Ten
days have now been spent by the House in unavail-
ing attempts to elect a Speaker—The excitement and
confusion in the House yesterday & the day before
were at times very great. The prospect of electing
Page 2
a speaker are as remote as they were at the commencement
of the session. Yesterday MrMead of Va called Mr Duer of N. Y. a liar which was followed by a scene
that may be more easily imagined than described.
The report this morning is that Mead will challenge Duer
to mortal combat, and in the event of his declining,
which Madam Vernons says he will, then he (Mead)
will attack him in the street or wherever he may meet
him—This will be an exciting and stormy session,
and if there be not some duels fought I shall be
disappointed—The Lord has indeed and in truth
come out of his hiding place to vex this nation—
I avail myself of the accosion to tender to sister Woodruff
my kind regards, and to renew to you ^assurances of^ my high
respect and esteem—
P. S. I have presented a specimen of salt from the Great
Salt Lake and a copy of the Book of Mormon to the
Library of Congress, which were gladly receeived,
and the Salt was placed along side of some which
was brought by Leut. Lynch from the Dead Sea or Salt
Sea, and said to be part of Lot's wife—I avail myself
of every proper accasion to preach the Gospel to
members of Congress and other distinguished per-
sonages—Brother Babbitt and I get along pretty well.