"Ye shall hallow the fiftieth year," was the word of the Lord to them, "and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." President Taylor resolved that something of this spirit should enter into the teachings and proceedings of the Jubilee Conference. "It occurred to me," said he to the Saints assembled on that occasion, "that we ought to do something, as they did in former times, to relieve those that are oppressed with debt, to assist those that are needy, to break off the yoke of those that may feel themselves crowded upon, and to make it a time of general rejoicing." Many of the Saints had been gathered from the Eastern States and the countries of the old world through means furnished by the Perpetual Emigration Fund Company. A company organized for the gathering of the poor. The manner in which the poor were assisted to emigrate by this company was as follows: The company forwarded the means necessary for their emigration and took their notes at the legal rate of interest. When the notes were paid, the money was thrown back into the fund to be used again in assisting others. But many of those thus assisted were old and decrepit; and after their arrival in Utah, poverty refused to release his clutch upon them, and they found it difficult and in some instances impossible to meet their obligations. Then others, the fund company not being importunate in its demands upon them, became careless and neglected to take up their notes. Others lost the faith, and with it, in most cases, all sense of honor, and ignored their obligations. Through these causes a large indebtedness to the fund had accumulated by the year 1880. The principal of the indebtedness amounted to $704,000. The interest, extending along for many years, at 10 per cent. per annum, amounted to $900,000, making in all $1,604,000. President Taylor proposed that one-half of this amount of the people's indebtedness to the Fund, $802,000, be released; that is, that the worthy poor throughout Zion who were unable to meet their engagements with the Fund be forgiven their indebtedness, not half of it, but the whole. The amount released was to be applied to their benefit in this way. The debtors able to pay were to be held accountable for the amounts they owed. "In former times," said President Taylor, in explaining this matter, "they did not release the rich, it was the poor. The rich can always take care of themselves--that is, so far as this world is concerned." Then there was a tithing indebtedness on the books of the bishop of the Church against the Saints, amounting to $151,798. President Taylor proposed that one half of that, $75,899, be released to the poor on the same principle that one-half of the Fund indebtedness was released. Both of these propositions were carried by the unanimous vote of the conference.