382 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



House was not to be moved, and forbade the continua- 

 tion of plays, which, despite the law, were given for 

 some time afterwards. In this state, as in many others 

 where for every matter a new and express law must 

 be made, it is only necessary to comply with the literal 

 sense, and the law may be freely mocked at. Concerts 

 were not prohibited, nor reading, nor dancing. + So 

 concerts were advertised, a select piece to be read be- 

 tween the acts, and a ballet given at the close. I went 

 to hear one of these concerts and saw instead the 

 tragedy of ' Douglas.' The music was as customary, 

 and the actors and actresses came on with a bit of paper 

 in their hands which they did not look at and finally 

 threw away, but for the rest played their roles as 

 formerly. This in a country which boasts of its laws. 

 There is no disavowal of the law ; there is no insistence 

 on its observance, but a quiet looking-on while means 

 are found to avoid it. Thus both sides are content ; the 

 one was pleased at making a law, the other at making 

 naught of it. However, this might not long be kept 

 up, for the Assembly having come together again, it 

 will likely pass a new law and interrupt this reading- 

 society. 



The Assembly of Pensylvania,* which, as I have 

 mentioned, was at this time in session, held its sittings 

 in a large room in the State-House. The doors are 

 open to everybody ; I had thus the pleasure of being 

 several times in attendance ; but I cannot say that in 

 the strict sense I saw them sitting. At the upper end 

 of the room the Speaker, or President of the Assembly, 



* It is called : General Assembly of Representatives of the 

 Freemen of Pensylvania. 



