1862.] 19 



been used by the General Assembly of the Province and State for 

 their place of meeting from 1735 until the removal of the seat of 

 Government to Lancaster, in November, 1799. The Congress of 

 the Confederation had also used it during the Revolutionary war, and 

 continued its occupation until the 24th of December, 1784, when 

 they adjourned to meet in the city of New York. The east room on 

 the first floor of this building was the scene of the Declaration of 

 Independence, on the 4th July, 1776. 



By a resolution of the General Assembly of the 17th March, 1802, 

 Charles Wilson Peale was allowed to remove his Museum into the 

 east end of the State-house, and to use the lower story of the east 

 end, except the room formerly occupied by the Legislature as a com- 

 mittee-room, and the whole of the upper story, as he might find most 

 convenient for the arranging and displaying the said museum, during 

 the pleasure of the Legislature ; but it was provided that the citizens 

 should hold their general elections at the State-house according to 

 law, and he was to take charge of the State-house and State-house 

 yard, to open the doors of the hall, and permit the citizens to walk 

 in the yard for recreation, and pass and repass at reasonable hours. 

 Under this regime I have often visited the museum, which was a 

 favorite place of resort, and as a boy, played marbles and prison-base 

 in the State-house yard, whilst it was still surrounded by the high 

 brick wall. On the 8th August, 1811, an ordinance was passed to 

 carry out the permission to take down the east and west walls of the 

 State-house yard, and erect iron palisadoes in place thereof, granted 

 by the Act of 1791 ; and on the 10th March, 1812, the Legislature 

 passed another Act, empowering the Select and Common Councils to 

 take down the south wall and make a similar improvement, and 

 giving them the charge of the yard, and repealing so much of the 

 resolution of 1802 as gave Mr. Peale the charge and care of it; and 

 on the 2od April, in that same year (1812), an ordinance was passed 

 to carry the Act into effect, and the City Commissioners were directed 

 to take charge of the State-house yard, and keep it in proper order. 



On the 24th March, 1812, the Legislature authorized the County 

 Commissioners to occupy the east and west wings of the State-house 

 for the accommodation of the public ofiices of the city and county, 

 and to convert the same into fire-proof buildings, or, if found most 

 convenient, to rebuild the same upon a more extended plan ; which 

 law was adopted ; and a fire-proof, and one other suitable portion of 

 said building was appropriated exclusively to the safe-keeping of the 

 records of the office of the Prothouotary of this court, and for his 



