Kirtland Safety Society Articles of Agreement

Mormon History: 1830 to 1839

Kirtland Safety Society Articles of Agreement

On January 2, 1837, one day after Orson Hyde returns from Columbus with the news that it will be difficult to obtain a bank charter from the legislature, two-thirds of the "subscribers" to the proposed bank vote to annul the November 2, 1836 constitution and adopt the following articles of agreement in its place. The company is to be known as the Kirtland Safety Society Anti-Banking Company.
But the plates that Oliver Cowdery had brought from Philadelphia to print the currency are for the Kirtland Safety Society Bank. When the notes are printed, ANTI and ING CO. are stamped before and after the word Bank (not on all, however).

Old constitution anulled	We would inform the public that for certain reasons, which will hereafter be satisfactorily explained, the Kirtland Safety Society have seen fit to annul the old constitution, and adopt the following:		MA 3, no. 4 (Jan. 1837): 441–443.
	ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT.
	Minutes of a meeting of the members of the "Kirtland Safety Society," held on the 2d day of January, 1837.
Meeting	At a special meeting of the Kirtland Safety Society, two thirds of the members being present, S. Rigdon was called to the Chair, and W. Parrish chosen Secretary.		Sidney Rigdon is bank president, Joseph Smith cashier, William Parish secretary.
	The house was called to order, and the object of the meeting explained by the chairman; which was:
Annul constitution	1st. To annul the old constitution, which was adopted by the society, on the 2d day of November, 1836: which was, on motion, by the unanimous voice of the meeting, annulled.
Articles of Agreement	2nd. To adopt Articles of Agreement, by which the Kirtland Safety Society are to be governed.
	After much discussion and investigation, the following Preamble and Articles of Agreement were adopted, by the unanimous voice of the meeting.
Preamble Kirtland Safety Society Anti-Banking Company	We, the undersigned subscribers, for the promotion of our temporal interests, and for the better management of our different occupations, which consist in agriculture, mechanical arts, and merchandising; do hereby form ourselves into a firm or company for the before mentioned objects, by the name of the "Kirtland Safety Society Anti-Banking Company," and for the proper management of said firm, we individually and jointly enter into, and adopt, the following Articles of Agreement.
	We, the undersigned subscribers, for the promotion of our temporal interests, and for the better management of our different occupations, which consist in agriculture, mechanical arts, and merchandising; do hereby form ourselves into a firm or company for the before mentioned objects, by the name of the "Kirtland Safety Society Anti-Banking Company," and for the proper management of said firm, we individually and jointly enter into, and adopt, the following Articles of Agreement.
Articles Capitalization	Art. 1st. The capital stock of said society or firm shall not be less than four millions of dollars; to be divided into shares of fifty dollars each; and may be increased to any amount, at the discretion of the managers.
Managers	Art. 2d. The management of said company shall be under the superintendence of thirty two managers, to be chosen annually by, and from among the members of the same; each member being entitled to one vote for each [442] share, which he, she, or they may hold in said company; and said votes may be given by proxy, or in propria persona.
Semi-annual meetings of managers	Art. 3d. It shall be the duty of said managers, when chosen, to elect from their number, a Treasurer and Secretary. It shall be the further duty of said managers to meet in the upper room of the office of said company, on the first Mondays of November and May of each year, at nine o'clock, A.M. to inspect the books of said company and transact such other business as may be deemed necessary.
Managers choose seven	Art 4th. It shall be the duty of said managers to choose from among their number, seven men, who shall meet in the upper room of said office, on Tuesday of each week, at 4 o'clock, P.M. to inquire into and assist in all matters pertaining to said company.
Compensation	Art. 5th. Each manager shall receive from the company one dollar per day for his services when called together at the annual and semi annual meetings. The Treasurer and Secretary, and the seven, the committee of the managers, shall receive a compensation for their services as shall be agreed by the managers at their semi-annual meetings.
Terms of office	Art. 6th. The first election of managers, as set forth in the second article, shall take place at the meeting of the members to adopt this agreement, who shall hold their office until the first Monday of November, 1837, unless removed by death or misdemeanor, and until others are duly elected. Every annual election of managers shall take place on the first Monday of November, of each year. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer and Secretary of said company, to receive the votes of the members by ballot, and declare the election.
Books open for inspection	Art. 7th. The books of the company shall be always open for the inspection of the members.
Semi-annual dividends	Art. 8th. It shall be the duty of the managers of the company, to declare a dividend once in six months; which dividend shall be apportioned among the members, according to the installments by them paid in.
Subscription installments	Art. 9. All persons subscribing stock in said firm, shall pay their first installment at the time of subscribing; and other installments from time to time, as shall be required by the managers.
Notice of installments due	Art. 10. The managers shall give thirty days notice in some public paper, printed in this county, previous to an installment being paid in. All subscribers residing out of the State, shall be required to pay in half the amount of their subscriptions at the time of subscribing, and the remainder, or such part thereof, as shall be required at any time by the managers, after thirty days notice.
Treasurer calls special meetings	Art. 11th. The Treasurer shall be empowered to call special meetings of the managers, whenever he shall deem it necessary; separate and aside from the annual and semi annual meetings.
Quorums	Art. 12. Two thirds of the managers shall form a quorum to act at the semi-annual meetings, and any number of the seven, the committee of the managers, with the Treasurer and Secretary, or either of them, may form a quorum to transact business at the weekly meetings; and in case none of the seven are present at the weekly meetings, the Treasurer and Secretary must transact the business.
Managers authority	Art. 13th. The managers shall have power to enact such by laws as they may deem necessary, from time to time, providing they do not infringe upon these Articles of Agreement.
Treasurer and Secretary legal responsibillity	Art. 14th. All notes given by said society, shall be signed by the Treasurer and Secretary thereof, and we the individual members of said firm, hereby hold ourselves bound for the redemption of all such notes.
Form of notes	Art. 15. The notes given for the benefit of said society, shall be given to the Treasurer, in the following form:
90-day payment	"Ninety days after date, we jointly and severally promise to pay A. B. or order dollars and cents, value received."
Records	A record of which shall be made in the books at the time, of the amount, and by whom given, and when due—and deposited with the files and papers of said society.
Amendments	Art. 16. Any article in this agreement may be altered at any time, annulled, added unto or expunged, by the vote of two-thirds of the members of said society; except the fourteenth article, that shall remain unaltered during the existence of said company.
$100,000 penal sum	For the true and faithful fulfilment of the above covenant and agreement, we in[443]dividually bind ourselves to each other under the penal sum of one hundred thousand dollars. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals the day and date first written above.

Joseph Smith comments	In connexion with the above Articles of Agreement of the Kirtland Safety Society, I beg leave to make a few remarks to all those who are preparing themselves, and appointing their wise men, for the purpose of building up Zion and her Stakes.
Brethren abroad send wise men	It is wisdom and according to the mind of the Holy Spirit, that you should call at Kirtland, and receive counsel and instruction upon those principles that are necessary to further the great work of the Lord, and to establish the children of the Kingdom, according to the oracles of God, as they are had among us.
Subscribe	And further, we invite the brethren from abroad, to call on us, and take stock in our Safety Society.
As Isaiah said …	And we would remind them also of the sayings of the prophet Isaiah, contained in the 60th chapter, and more particularly the 9th and 17th verses, which are as follows:
Bring gold	"Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, and to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold (not their bank notes) with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the holy one of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.
	"For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and wood brass and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness."
	Also 62 ch. 1st vrs.
Salvation	"For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth."
	J. SMITH jr.

	The articles are printed again in the March issue, followed by 187 names of those who have signed the document:		MA 3, no. 6 (Mar. 1837): 475–477.
	[476] Sidney Rigdon N. K. Whitney Reynolds Cahoon Joseph Smith jr Warren Parrish Sylvester Smith Hyrum Smith Elwin P Merriam Elijah Chancy Eliphalet Boynton Vincent Knight Solon Foster Daniel Bowen Loren Babbit Joel McWithy Zemira Draper Wm Draper sen Wm Draper jr Asa Lyman Laban Morrill Bechias Dustin Jesse Turpin Alexander Badlam Wm Smth Luke Johnson A Pettingall Isaac H Bishop Harrison Burgess Joseph Smith sen Lucy Smith Jonas Putnam Edmund Bosley Hyrum Stratton Samuel Parker David Whitmer Roger Orton Erastus Snow Lyman Sherman Isaac Rogers Salmon Gee Andrew Brim Jonathan H Holmes Wm C Rolfe Warren Smith Simeon Andrews Nath. Milliken John F. Boynton (h) Reuben Hedlock J B Noble Smith Humphrey Francis G Bishop Ephraim Badger Ira Bond George W Gee George A Smith Mahew Millman Chauncey G Webb Thos Butterfield Lebbeus T Coons Samuel Newcomb Sabra Granger Benj Winchester Samuel Hale Israel Barlow Nathaniel Carr Reuben Field Dorcas Brooks Phebe Rigdon	Leonard Rich Artemus Millet Peter Shirts Wm D Pratt Jerusha Smith Martha Knight Josiah Butterfield John Smith Hiram Corey Jared Carter C P Lott Elijah Able Nathan Haskins Geo W Robinson Noah Packard Daniel Allen jr Edson Barney Erastus Babbit Reuben McBride Russell Potter Harvey Stanley Uzziel Stevens John Johnson Ezekiel Rider Elisha C Coltrin Luman Carter Wm Woodstock Jonathan Hampton Sterny Tripp Amasa Bonney P P Pratt (h) John Gaylord Daniel S Jackson Edwin D Webb Edward M Webb William F. Cahoon Horace Burgess Wm Miller Orson Pratt Brigham Young J B Smith S B Stoddard Ebenezer Barr Lyman E Johnson Heber C Kimball Lorenzo Young Zebedee Coltrin Gardner Snow Amasa Lyman (h) Nathan Tanner Jeremiah Willey Nathan Cheney L H Franks Lewis Eager Silas Smith Jesse Baker Gideon H Carter David Clough Astin Butler Benj Andrews Wm Foster 1st L M Davis W Huntington jr Zina Huntington Lorenzo Wells James M Carrel Truman O. Angel Graham Coltrin	Benjamin Winchester George W. Robinson William D. Pratt William Smith Cornelius P. Lott Thomas Butterfield
	[477] A E Robinson Elijah B Gaylord Samuel H Smith Amos R Orton Willford Woodruff Ira Ames Lorenzo Booth Henry D Garret Benj S Wilber Benjamin Kempton Hiram Clark Hiram B Booth Isaac Hubbard Wesley Knight Benj H Stall Clark L Whitney Russell Pemberton J D Parker Martin H Peck Hiram Dayton Oliver Olney William Aldrich Joseph Young John B Carpenter David Dort Temperance Mack	Thomas Carrico Levi Gifford Joel H Johnson Heman T Hyde Haratio [Horatio] N Parks Amos B Fuller Hugh Coltrin George Strope John P. Greene Samuel Phelps Canfield & Spencer M C Davis J Goodson H A Sharp John Coltrin Hezekiah Fisk Lucy Ives Liester Gaylord Thomas Gates jr Isaac Cleaveland Wm Gould Wm Barker Andrew L Allen John W Duty S Hanchett and others	Wilford occasionally signed his name with two ls.
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