466 [Senate 



The Committee then reported the following nominations : 



Gen. James Tallmadge, President. Jas. A. H. Whipple, of Ver • 

 mont ; Geo. W. Murry, of New- Jersey ; James Harrison, of Con- 

 necticut ; J. G. Ward, of New-York ; Samuel Church, of Con- 

 necticut ; Isaac R. Barbour, of Mass. ; Henry Meigs, of New-York, 

 Vice-Presidents. Theodore Dwight, jr., of New-York, Secretary. 

 Charles Nicholl, of Connecticut, Assistant Secretary. A. C. Van 

 Epps, Lucius Cary, John S. Pierce, I. R. Barbour, J. G. Ward, 

 Business Committee. 



On motion, the report of the committee was adopted. 



Gen. Tallmadge then proceeded to the chair, as President of the 

 Convention ; and before taking his seat, addressed the Convention as 

 follows : 



Having honored me by your choice, as presiding officer of this 

 Convention, I beg you to accept my thanks. I frankly confess to 

 you, that while this call is unexpected, the subject on which you are 

 assembled is one for which I have great feeling and interest ; and I 

 beg you to believe, that whatever lies in my power to promote it, 

 shall be done. 



I have said before, and repeat it now, that the culture of silk is a 

 branch of business for the prosecution of which, America is so well 

 calculated by nature, that it will eventually excel Europe, and even 

 Asia. Such are the peculiarities of the climate of this country, that 

 the air is dry through that season in which the business is to be car- 

 ried on ; while in Europe it is damp, as is the case, also, in a great 

 part of Asia. 



A moment's reflection will explain the cause of this important dif- 

 ference. The prevailing wdnds, which are westerly, are dried, in 

 America, by crossing the mountains, and blowing over extensive 

 tracts of land ; while, in the Eastern Continent, they come from the 

 water. The same cause which here produces dryness, in Europe 

 produces moisture ; and this marked peculiarity must always affect 

 the silk culture. It is unnecessary to remark farther on this subject, 

 as the importance of this peculiarity cannot fail to be appreciated. 



There is another fact equally important, and equally in our favor. 



I think I can state without danger of mistake, that there is not a 

 book published in the Italian or French languages, on the silk cul- 

 ture, which does not commence by telling you how to hatch the silk 

 worm eggs, by artificial means^ viz. by the heat and moisture of the 

 human body. The common method there, is for peasant women to 

 place them next their skin, and wear them at their labor in the field, 

 till they hatch, and then to pour them upon the mulberry leaves to feed. 



On the contrary, in America, every book that is published, begins 

 with a chapter of directions how to prevent the eggs from hatching. 

 Here, contrary to the practice in Europe, we are obliged to use our 

 ice-houses and cellars to prevent the worms coming out before the 

 foliage is ready. 



With these facts before us, gentlemen, I maintain that, of all the 

 habitable globe, America is best fitted for this, as one of her staple 



