Second--Resolved that the High Council recommend to all those who hold licenses, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, and do not officiate in their respective offices, be subject to military duty. [4] A charge was then preferred against William W. Phelps and John Whitmer, for persisting in unchristian-like conduct. Six councilors were appointed to speak, viz., Simeon Carter, Isaac Higbee, and Levi Jackman, on the part of the accuser; and Jared Carter, Thomas Grover, and Samuel Bent, on the part of the accused; when the following letter, belonging to Thomas B. Marsh, was read by {7} Brother Marcellus F. Cowdery, bearer of the same, previous to giving it to its rightful owner: "Far West, March 10, 1838. "Sir--It is contrary to the principles of the revelations of Jesus Christ and His gospel, and the laws of the land, to try a person for an offense by an illegal tribunal, or by men prejudiced against him, or by authority that has given an opinion or decision beforehand, or in his absence. "Very respectfully we have the honor to be, "David Whitmer, "William W. Phelps, "John Whitmer, "Presidents of the Church of Christ in Missouri. "To Thomas B. Marsh, one of the [Twelve] Traveling Councilors." Attested: Oliver Cowdery, Clerk of the High Council of the Church of Christ in Missouri. I certify the foregoing to be a true copy from the original. Oliver Cowdery, Clerk of the High Council. All the effect the above letter had upon the Council, was to convince them still more of the wickedness of those men, by endeavoring to palm themselves off upon the Church, as her Presidents, after the Church had by a united voice, removed them from their presidential office, for their ungodly conduct; and the letter was considered no more nor less than a direct insult or contempt cast upon the authorities of God, and the Church of Jesus Christ; therefore the Council proceeded to business. A number of charges were sustained against these men, the principal of which was claiming $2,000 Church funds, which they had subscribed for building a house to the Lord in this place, when they held in their possession the city plat, and were sitting in the presidential chair; which subscription they were intending to pay from the avails of the town lots; but when the town plat was transferred into the hands of the Bishop for the benefit of the Church, it was agreed that the Church should take this subscription off the hands of W. W. Phelps and John Whitmer: but in the transaction of the business, they bound the Bishop in a heavy mortgage, to pay them the above $2,000, in two years from the date thereof, a part of which they had already received, and claimed the remainder.