1792] i^^r. WILLIAM SMITH, D. D. 349 



am not able to say whether it was owing" to some dissatisfaction 

 about the election of one or more of these persons, or some cir- 

 cumstances connected with the mode of announcing the election 

 of officers, that we find the following rather distinct sort of letter 

 from Dr. Smith to Mr. Williams, a member of the society, related 

 to Dr. Franklin, the president, lately deceased: 



Dr. Smith to Jonathan WilHams. Esq. 



Philadelphia, February 5, 1792. 



Sir : You had yesterday my determination about signing the certifi- 

 cates : it was that I could not sign them till my objections were heard 

 at a meeting of the society. The Rules require that certificates shall be 

 signed by all the officers. I am sorry for the delay, and if the secre- 

 taries will take it upon themselves to issue the certificates without my 

 name, rather than wait till the next meeting of the society, they may 

 have them for that purpose. Whatever Rules may be made at the next 

 meeting, or whatever may be found to have been the general usage, I 

 shall submit to, or else I shall resign my appointment, that there may be 

 no delays nor debates on my account in conducting the affairs of the 

 society, of which I was one of the original founders and for whose honor 

 and success I have long exerted myself. Whether the order of sub- 

 scribing be according to seniority in office, or the form of return at 

 election, according to the number of votes, in either case the present 

 mode of signing the certificates sent to me is wrong. 



I should, however, have taken no notice at present of the thing if you 

 had not told me that you were blamed for the manner of publishing the 

 names of the officers according to the number of votes at the last 

 election, and that one of the vice-presidents had said that he would not 

 subscribe unless his name stood first. I know not on what his preten- 

 sions are founded, but I am sure neither on rule or usage; and I cannot 

 imagine that the secretaries of the society, upon any private conference 

 among themselves, had a right to determine this point. If there be a 

 special meeting on this business, the nature of it and the reasons for 

 calling it must be set forth in the notices. If you think proper, I will 

 wait upon you at Mr. Rittenhouse's to-morrow, concerning the special 

 meeting, or send the two certificates signed by myself in the present 

 order, provided that it be not made a precedent, and the other certifi- 

 cates may remain until some amicable order shall be taken at next 

 stated meeting. 



I beg you to retain this in your hands until I have the pleasure of 

 seeing you. 



I am, with great regard, your obedient servant, 



William Smith, 



To JO.NATHAN WiLLIAMS, ESQ. 



