It is a law of the church that its members shall pay over one tenth part of their property which they may have the time they join the body, and annually thereafter, one tenth part of their increase. This is called the law of tithing. This tithing is appropriated for the benefit of the poor, for public purposes, &c. The temple at Nauvoo was built by the tithing of the people. After the death of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, the Twelve came into power, and they formed the council that were to apply this tithing, or to create a bishop to apply it. William Smith was, at that time, nominally one of the Twelve, and he claimed that it was his right to have one-twelth part of the tithing set off to him, to be appropriated to his own individual use, or in any way that he thought proper. This was not allowed any one of the Twelve; and he was the only one that ever asked or expected such a thing; and we were conscious that none but a prodigal in every sense of the word, *which we considered him to be,) would indulge such a wish. This being positively denied him, he went up to Galena and published there, or at some other place, a pamphlet, in which he laid many false and grievous charges against the whole Twelve; but more particularly against Elder Brigham Young. This pamphlet was read in part to a large collection of people in the Temple, and he was then and there excluded from the society and fellowship of the church by a unanimous vote of the entire body, among whom were assembled almost the entire authorities of the whole church. To present the cause of his expulsion from the church in a few words, it is this. A wish to propriate the public fund of the Church to his own private use-for publishing false and slanderous statements concerning the church: and for a general looseness and recklessness of character which ill comported with the dignity of his high calling.