306 



[Oct. 7, 



The following letter was read and the Curators were re- 

 quested to report to the Society upon the request it contained : 



Philadelphia, May 30, 1893. 

 Frederick Fraley, Esq., 



President of the American Philosophical Society: 



Dear Sir : — The Joint Special Committee appointed by the Councils of 

 Philadelphia to secure a proper representation of historical and other ex- 

 hibits from Philadelphia at the World's Columbian Exposition, to beheld 

 at Chicago, propose taking the Liberty Bell and other objects in posses- 

 sion of the city, and are desirous of securing additional relics. An in- 

 spection of the contents of the Hall of your Society convinced the 

 Committee that an exhil)ilion of tlie following objects in your possession 

 would greatly add to the interest of Phihidelphia's display, viz.: 



1. Chair in vphich Thomas Jeflerson wrote the Declaration of Inde- 

 pendence. 



2. Chair owned and used by Benjamin Franivlin. 



3. Electrical device invented by Franklin. 



4. Chair of Joseph Bonaparte from his residence at Bordentown. 



5. Polygraph used by Jefferson. 



6. Unsigned copy of the Declaration of Independence made by Jeffer- 

 son, with interlineations. 



And other relics of historical and antiquarian interest. 

 Proper attention will be given to the care and preservation of all arti- 

 cles exhibited under the custodianship of the Committee. 



I therefore earnestly request that your Society will take into considera- 

 tion the proposition to permit the above-named articles to be exhibited at 

 Ciiicago under the auspices of our Committee. 



Yours truly, 



Elias p. Smithers, Chairman. 



The Secretaries were authorized to reprint four pages in 

 Prof. Cope's paper on " Tlie Osteology of the Lacertilia," and 

 to distribute the same with the next number of the Proceed- 

 ings. 



And the Society was adjourned by the President. 



