A. L. Bishop — The State Works of Pennsylvania. 181 



At a public meeting of tlie citizens of the city and county of 

 Philadelpliia on May 3d, called by the committee of twenty-four, 

 the preliminary arrangements were made for this gathering. The 

 "Acting Committee" of the Improvement Society was directed to 

 second the movement. A large number of influential citizens was 

 present and after a good deal of discussion it was decided to call 

 a convention at Harrisburg, on August 4th, to discuss the whole 

 subject of internal improvements.* It was believed that if delegates 

 from all quarters of the state could thus be assembled, and if a 

 majority of them endorsed the popular movement for a canal to 

 the West, the government then would have no reason to further 

 delay the commencement of the work. Six delegates from the city 

 and seven from the county of Philadelphia were appointed. f 

 The duties of the committee of twenty-four were renewed, and 

 arrangements were made for a systematic canvass so that every part 

 of the state should be represented. Within two weeks several 

 counties had appointed^ or were preparing to appoint delegates. 

 From this time on the county newspapers contained reports of 

 numerous meetings held for the discussion of transportation 

 improvements, and to consider the advisability of sending repre- 

 sentatives to the proposed convention. 



It is not to be understood that there was no opposition — far 

 from it. Even in the town meeting held at Philadelphia, serious 

 objection s§ were raised to the resolution to call a convention. It 

 was urged that such a gathering might retard the movement for 

 putting through at once the main line of works; that it might 

 excite angry feelings ; or that discord in the convention might 

 produce hostility in the legislature. As would naturally be expected, 

 the ai'guments used in other parts of the state were of a diiferent 



■' A full account of the proceedings of the meeting is given in the United 

 States Gazette of May 10th, 1825. 



■j- For the City. For the County. 



J. Sergeant, • J. Holgate, 



W. T. Duane, Daniel Groves, 



M. Carey, Alex. McCaraher, 



W. Lehman, Geo. W. Riter, 



M. Eyre, Samuel Breck, 



C. T. Ingersoll. Jam^s Ronaldson, 



Samuel Humphreys. 

 J United States Gazette, May 24th, 1825. 

 § See United States Gazette, May 24th, 1825. 



Trans. Conn. Acad., Vol. XIII. 14 Nov., 1907. 



