| 224 given law may, and in this instance does, involve different offices, or the administration of different officers.
"2. The charge of the Twelve is intended to define their duty as an advisory and judicial body, with whom lies the 'regulating' of 'the affairs of the church,' according to law.
"3. The part to be performed by the Twelve in carrying into effect the 'law of tithing,' is precedent and subsequent, and involves both teaching the law and administering it; administration and teaching to be upon principles agreed to by the Twelve and the Bishopric.
"4. The Bishopric are the legal custodians of all the temporalities of the church, upon whom devolves the duty of gathering, safely keeping, and disbursing the moneys and properties of the church, in keeping with the law, and agreeably to the rules mutually agreed to by the Twelve and the Bishopric.
"5. In the receiving and disbursing of church funds, all persons who may be intrusted [entrusted] therewith are in fact, or ex officio, agents for the Bishopric, and should account to the Bishopric; and in disbursing general church funds should do so by the direction of the Bishop, or in accordance with an agreement and understanding with the Bishopric previously had; specific, in regard to objects before determined upon; general, in regard to objects incidental to the prosecution of missionary labor, for which, in the nature of things, no specific directions can be given.
"6. The Bishopric being created by and responsible to the church for the proper administration of their duty, should not, in justice, be made finally responsible to the Twelve, in any other sense than all other church officers are responsible to the same quorum; that is, by proper charge and adjudication before the general church officers, or by decision of General Conference.
"7. Discretionary powers to receive and disburse church funds, and dispose of church property for the uses of the church, according to the laws of the church, and subject to inquiry by the Twelve and the church, must rest in the Bishopric only, as, by law, the Bishopric only are legal custodians of such properties; but the Twelve may and should exercise such supervisory jurisdiction, according to previous arrangement and agreement with the Bishopric, as will prevent unnecessary delay and injury to the work of the ministry, and will facilitate the proper expenditure of funds in the church treasury for the purpose of carrying on the preaching of the word, in which is included the support of the families of traveling ministers in the field; the publication and distribution of such books and tracts as may be deemed expedient, for which no other provision is made; the erection of houses of worship; purchase of lands, together with the care and uses of them in missions assigned by conferences.
"8. The Twelve being by law a traveling, spiritual, ministerial body, supposed to be in the missionary field, can not in justice be expected to act as a council exercising local and decisive direction in the disbursement of church moneys, in the sense that no expenditure could be had,
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