adjust the apartments to the expected purposes of 

 the institution as to have space, convenience and 

 harmony of arrangements. But when the members 

 of the Society and visitors from abroad enter its por- 

 tals to ascend to these rooms, memories of the past 

 naturally arise in their hearts, and they feel that they 

 are surrounded by a different atmosphere from that 

 which prevails below. Their thoughts are exalted to 

 the purposes of such an institution, and after looking 

 over its treasures and appreciating what so many 

 years have gathered together they are prepared to go, 

 reinforced by its associations, and hopeful that such 

 an institution may continue for many years to come. 



The property was granted in perpetuity by the 

 Commonwealth, with permission to rent such parts of 

 the building as were not needed for its immediate use, 

 and from the time it was erected to the present hour 

 considerable portions of it have been under rental, 

 largely contributing to the income of the Society and 

 enabling it to work out its career of usefulness. It has 

 been attempted, upon several occasions, to dispose of 

 our interests in the site and building, but we are limited 

 in these respects to a sale to the city of Philadelphia, 

 to the county of Philadelphia, to the State of Pennsyl- 

 vania, and to the United States, for courts of justice or 

 purposes cognate thereto. Thus it has happened that 

 upon two occasions arrangements have been made to 

 sell it to the city of Philadelphia and once to sell it to 

 the United States, but happily, perhaps, for the institu- 

 tion, those sales were not consummated, and we still 

 remain in our ancient dwelling-place. Yet when our 

 Committee on Hall moved the Society to hold this 

 celebration, it seems to me that they meant to admon- 



