ON ME. DU PONCEAU S HISTORY. 91 



The answer, from which the above is an extract, 

 was never delivered; for the very next day the 

 American Society held a special meeting, which opens 

 with the following minute : 



&quot;Some of the members apprehending that the 

 minute of our last meeting, if delivered, might give 

 offence to some Gentlemen of the other Society, which 

 they would cautiously avoid if possible, therefore 

 proposed a meeting of the Society this day to con 

 sider that minute,&quot; etc. The result of the recon 

 sideration is thus recorded: 



&quot;The minute of the American Philosophical So 

 ciety of the 2nd inst., which declares our election into 

 that Society, being considered, it was unanimously 

 determined that, as it was not on the terms proposed, 

 we are under the necessity of declining the Union.&quot; 



In the above calm and deliberate proceedings, the 

 Committee can see nothing that has the appearance 

 of a &quot;contest,&quot; much less of a contest presenting &quot;a 

 formidable aspect.&quot; 



We have the evidence of Bishop White that warmth 

 and activity were displayed at the first election. The 

 minutes show that 89 members voted. The total 

 number of members at the time of the union was 251, 

 26 common to the two parent Societies ; 102 belong 

 ing to the Philosophical Society, and 123 to the 

 American Society. Deducting the members that re 

 sided out of the city and county, many of them in 

 distant states and countries, there remain about 14 



