1862.] 21 



court-house and a new city hall on parts of the State-house square ; 

 but the authority thus given has never been exercised, and the Act 

 of the 2d April, 1860, was never carried into eflFect; a fortunate cir- 

 cumstance in the present state of our finances. 



It will be perceived by this statement, and their present occupa- 

 tion, that all the buildings belonging to the city on the State-house 

 square, are devoted entirely to public purposes — to the courts of 

 justice — including the Supreme Court, who are expressly provided 

 for in the Consolidation Act, and to all the public offices of the 

 county, and of the city, into which they are practically merged, and 

 by whose authority they are provided with a local habitation. 



The State, bearing in mind the services rendered to science by 

 this Society, and at the same time determined that this lot should 

 never be held by private owners, nor devoted to any but public uses 

 connected with the welfare of her commercial metropolis, on the 11th 

 February, 1842, authorized the Society to sell or lease their lot, and 

 to make legal conveyance of the same, so that the same shall be used 

 for the accommodation of courts of justice, and offices connected 

 therewith, or for the public use of the City or County of Philadelphia. 

 Under this restriction it is clear there can be only two purchasers or 

 lessees, — the United States and the City of Philadelphia ; and it is 

 equally certain that the latter should be its owner. The proceeds of 

 sale can only be applied to the purchase of convenient ground and 

 buildings for the accommodation of the Society, and the residue for 

 the furtherance of the objects for which the Society was instituted. 

 By the second section of the Act of 13th March, 1847, the Society 

 were further authorized to lease such portions of their buildings as 

 may not be required for their immediate use, for such rents and in 

 such manner as they may deem expedient; such rents to be used by 

 them solely for promoting the objects for which they were incorpo- 

 rated. 



On the 25th April, 1857, the Legislature gave their consent to the 

 United States purchasing the lot and buildings in pursuance of the 

 Act of 1842 : the United States to hold the same for the purposes 

 and business of courts of justice, and the offices and officers connected 

 therewith. The vaults and cellars were allowed to be rented like 

 those under the City Hall, and under many of our churches, for the 

 storage of goods and groceries; the rooms in the lower parts were 

 often lawyers' offices. At one time, the Athenaeum was located 

 there ; and now, we believe, they are occupied solely by the United 

 States : the issues and profits have always been applied to the fur- 



