10 June 1844 • Monday

Monday June 10 1844 in city council from 10 [a.m.]— to 1.20. a.m [p.m.] & from 2.20 to 6— 30 P.M. investigati[n]g the Merits of the Nauvoo Expositor. Laws. Higbe[es] Fosters &c—— Council passed an ordinance concerni[n]g Libels and for other purposes. also issued an order to me to dest[r]oy the Nauvoo Expositor establis[h]ment. as a nuisanc[e]—— I immediately ordered the marshal to dest[r]oy it without delay. at the same issued an order to Jonathan Dunham. acting Major Gen Nauvoo Legi[o]n.— to assist the Marshall with the Legion if calld upon so to do.— and about 8 o clock the Marshall repo[r]ted. that. he had removd the press. type— & pinteed [printed] pape[r]s— & fixtures into the street & fired them. this was done by because of the Libellus character of the paper.— in slanderi[n]g the Municipality of the city.— the possey consisting of some hundred retur[ne]d with the Marshal— in front of the Mansion— & I gave them a short address told them they had done right. that they had executed my orders— requi[re]d of me by the city council that if I would never submit to have another Libellous publication in establishd in the.— city. that I cared not how ma[n]y pape[r]s there were in the city if they would pr[i]nt the truth. but would submit to no Libe[l]s— or slanders from them.—— the speech was loudly greeted by 3 cheers— 3. times.— the posse dispe[rs]ed all in good order——

Francis M. Higbee and othe[r]s made some th[r]eats which will appear in duee course of Invstigatin [investigation]