I am constantly receiving applications from abroad for elders, which were replied to in the _Times and Seasons_ of this day--that the conference on the 6th of April next, will attend to as many of the applications as possible. The council of the Twelve Apostles wrote to Ramus, Lima, Augusta, and other branches, as follows:-- {293} _The Twelve to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in and about Ramus, greeting:--_ BELOVED BRETHREN:--As our beloved President Joseph Smith is now relieved from his bondage and his business, temporarily, and his property, too, he has but one thing to hinder his devoting his time to the spiritual interests of the Church, to the bringing forth of the revelations, translation, and history. And what is that? He has not provision for himself and family, and is obliged to spend his time in providing therefor. His family is large and his company great, and it requires much to furnish his table. And now, brethren, we call on you for immediate relief in this matter; and we invite you to bring our President as many loads of wheat, corn, beef, pork, lard, tallow, eggs, poultry, venison, and everything eatable at your command, (not excepting unfrozen potatoes and vegetables, as soon as the weather will admit,) flour, etc., and thus give him the privilege of attending to your spiritual interest. The measure you mete shall be measured to you again. If you give liberally to your President in temporal things, God will return to you liberally in spiritual and temporal things too. One or two good new milch cows are much needed also. Brethren, will you do your work, and let the President do his for you before God? We wish an immediate answer by loaded teams or letter. Your brethren in Christ, in behalf of the quorum, BRIGHAM YOUNG, President. WILLARD RICHARDS, Clerk. P.S. Brethren, we are not unmindful of the favors our President has received from you in former days. But a man will not cease to be hungry this year because he ate last year. B. Y. W. R. Some thirty inhabitants of Saratogo, New York, have died recently of a disease called the black tongue. About this time, a slide from Mount Ida, near Troy, New York, took place, burying ten houses and killing thirty or forty persons. _Thursday, 2_.--I was engaged in the court-room, sitting on the case of Charles R. Dana _versus_ William B. Brink all day. In the evening, examining Blackstone and Phillips on evidence. I visited with Elders Brigham Young and Orson Hyde, with their wives, at Elder Heber C. Kimball's. {294} The legislature of Illinois took up the bill to repeal the Nauvoo City Charter. _Nauvoo Charter in the House of the Illinois Legislature_.