No. 124.J 191 



countrymen sufficiently to enable me to answer for them, the first 

 branch of the question, we will ; the second, we will not. 



Mr. Smith closed, carrying off the uttered thanks, and the hearty good 

 will of all present. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



The convention met according to adjournment — President Tallmadge 

 in the chair. The resolutions, as reported by the business committee, 

 and amended by the convention, were unanimously passed, and are 

 given below^ 



Specimens of silk handkerchiefs, which were pronounced by compe- 

 tent judges to be of a very excellent quality, spun and wove by giils 

 who four months before had never seen a loom, were exhibited by Mr. 

 Murray, of Paterson, New- Jersey. A vote of thanks to Messrs. Alien 

 of the American Agriculturist, and Fleet of the United States Farmer, 

 for copies of their respective journals sent in for distribution among the 

 members. 



Mr. Barbour gave notice that the publishers of the Tribune have 

 now in press, and will publish on the first day of November next, a 

 work on silk ; containing a general history of its introduction and cul- 

 ture in Europe and the United States ; the natural history of the diffe- 

 rent species of silk-worm ; the Mulberry tree ; its varieties and pecu- 

 liarities ; a history of the Morus Multicaulis speculation in the United 

 States; progress of the culture of silk, machinery, &c. The princi- 

 pal documents, and much useful information on many of the subjects 

 embraced in the volume, were furnished by Mr. B. 



Mr. B. said the w^ork was designed to be, not a Silk Manual, al- 

 though there is enough in it to guide any beginner in his first essays 

 It is more scientific and adapted to interest the general reader. It 

 abounds with plates representing the silk-worm in all its changes, to- 

 gether with a silk reel and all the machinery employed in the silk 

 manufacture in Europe. It has been got up by the enterprising pub- 

 lishers at a great expense, as constituting the 6th number of their 

 Series of " Useful Works for the Peo'ple.''^ Any ingenious mechanic 

 can take these plates, and make the reel, or the machinery represented. 



The president read a note from Mr. Allen, saying that he would be 

 happy to publish the proceedings of the convention or any commu- 

 nication the friends of the silk business might make on the subject, 

 and, as far as consistent with other great interests, to make his pa- 

 per the organ of the silk interest. 



Mr. Fleet was present and stated that he would most willingly 

 lend his influence to the noble cause. Short addresses were made by 

 Mr. Prince and others, in which they stated that silk, as well as cotton 

 and woollen goods, and cutlery, were labelled "English," " French," 

 and " Italian," in order to make them sell in our city markets. 



Mr. Smith said that there was a large silk manufacturing establish- 

 ment in Baltimore, running from 15 to 20 Jacquard looms, and making 

 the best of silk goods, but selling them all as foreign. They would 

 not even permit him to bring samples of their goods to the Conven- 

 tion to exhibit as American, and he determined to expose them.* 



• Since the Convention closed I have learned that there are tens of thousands of labels 

 printed in this city, by one individual, for American Sewing Silk, as Best Italian Sewing 

 Silli. Immense quantities are sold under ths deception. J. R. B. 



