_Saturday, 25_.--This morning Brother Samuel C. Brown made me a present of a gold watch. Spent the forenoon in the city council. The council passed "An ordinance in relation to interments," "An ordinance in relation to the duties of city attorney," and "an ordinance concerning a market on Main Street." Stephen Markham resigned his office as an alderman, and Wilson Law was elected to fill his place. At three o'clock the council assembled after an adjournment for dinner. The subject of a sound currency for the city having previously arisen, I addressed the council at {289} considerable length, giving, amongst others, the following hints. _Views of the Prophet on Constitutional Powers_. Situated as we are, with a flood of immigration constantly pouring in upon us, I consider that it is not only prudential, but absolutely necessary to protect the inhabitants of this city from being imposed upon by a spurious currency. Many of our eastern and old country friends are altogether unacquainted with the situation of the banks in this region of country; and as they generally bring specie with them, they are perpetually in danger of being gulled by speculators. Besides there is so much uncertainty in the solvency of the best of banks, that I think it much safer to go upon the hard money system altogether. I have examined the Constitution upon this subject and find my doubts removed. The Constitution is not a law, but it empowers the people to make laws. For instance, the Constitution governs the land of Iowa, but it is not a law for the people. The Constitution tells us what shall not be a lawful tender. The 10th section declares that nothing else except gold and silver shall be lawful tender, this is not saying that gold and silver shall be lawful tender. It only provides that the states may make a law to make gold and silver lawful tender. I know of no state in the Union that has passed such a law; and I am sure that Illinois has not. The legislature has ceded up to us the privilege of enacting such laws as are not inconsistent with the Constitution of the United States and the state of Illinois; and we stand in the same relation to the state as the state does to the Union. The clause referred to in the Constitution is for the legislature--it is not a law for the people. The different states, and even Congress itself, have passed many laws diametrically contrary to the Constitution of the United States.