ury, however, was represented at the time as unable to favour the prayers of the thirteen thousand persons who signed the memorial, and the Saints had no alternative but to "bide their time."
In the spring of 1848 immigration was reopened, via New Orleans, up the Mississippi river to St. Louis, thence by the Missouri to Council Bluff's and "Winter-Quarters on the opposite bank of the river. During the October Conference of the following year, the resolution for gathering the poor from Nauvoo was extended to the poor of all countries, and a "Perpetual Fund" was created. A liberal contribution was made, and some of the leading elders, under the direction of the chief bishop, were sent East to first gather up the Saints left on the Missouri river, and from that time the operation of the fund was to be extended to Europe.
The funds, of course, like everything else, were, and are under the direction of the First Presidency, and the immigrants assisted were usually met by the clerks of the Trustee-in-Trust one day before they entered Salt Lake City, and signed their obligations to refund the money with ten per cent. per annum, added till paid. Contributions have been continually called for, and the fund has increased to a pretty large sum. During the present summer Brigham announced that the immigrants owed the fund nearly a million of dollars! As the fund is a general receptacle for contributions, loses nothing, and gains annually ten per cent, upon its entire capital, it is destined to be a great institution, and a rod in pickle for the disobedient.
The opponents of Brigham are usually very severe upon him for "the bondage" in which he holds his poor debtors; but he has his defence. Many of those immigrants can never return the funds unless they apostatize, and if that dreadful deed is done, his agent is instantly after the rebel. One of the elders who had been on mission for several years in England, and who had, in addition, been a liberal contributor with his pen to the Church organ there, had to be assisted to Zion by the fund. He thought they had no right to expect his "obligation" after all those years of service; but he was obliged to give it. Three years ago he apostatized, and gave promise of being a magnificent rebel. He was tried before the
