9 J REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE 



belonging to the two Societies, 69 to the Philosophical, 

 and 41 to the American Society; total 124. As 89 

 voted, it shows how large a proportion of those, pre 

 sumed to be present in the city and county, were 

 active on the occasion. The resident members of 

 the Philosophical Society were more numerous than 

 the same members of the American Society; though 

 the total number of the former Society, from having 

 fewer non-resident members, was less than the total 

 of the latter. From these facts it is evident that 

 Franklin could not have been elected first President 

 of the United Society, unless he had received consid 

 erable support from the members of the Philosophical 

 Society. If the election had turned upon party or 

 Society feeling solely, Ex-Governor Hamilton, the 

 President of the Philosophical Society, would have 

 been elected. No doubt the fact was, that it was 

 felt and admitted that Franklin possessed a high 

 philosophical reputation, that he was the founder of 

 the Philosophical Society, though the President of the 

 American Society, and that his name, which was 

 known all over Europe, would give greater weight 

 to the United Society than that of Hamilton. Actu 

 ated, no doubt, by some such motives, a sufficient 

 number of the members of the Philosophical Society 

 voted in favor of Franklin to secure his election. 



It is true that John Penn, at the time Governor of 

 the Province, was displeased at the result. It had 

 been agreed, that the Governor for the time being, 



