AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 37 



for sometime in this city, under the name of "The 

 American Society held at Philadelphia for promoting 

 and propagating useful knowledge," whose views 

 have been nearly the same with those which are 

 published in the American Philosophical Society, and 

 it being judged by [this Society] that the ends pro- 

 posed by both could be carried on with more advan- 

 tage to the public, if a union could take place between 

 them, it is proposed that such a union may take place. " 



To this paper was added a list of the members of 

 the American Society to the number of seventeen 

 resident and four corresponding members, to which 

 the American Society had been increased in the 

 intermediate time. 



If the American were afraid of the Philosophical 

 Society, the latter could not but perceive that an union 

 was desirable, as two such learned Societies could 

 not exist in Philadelphia at that time by the side of 

 each other, but they were desirous of acting the prin- 

 cipal part in that union, and obtaining a kind of pre- 

 ponderance or superiority over their opponents, by 

 appearing to have admitted them into their bosom; 

 their numbers were about equal and, so far, there 

 was equality between them, but the others wanted an 

 union, not an admission. The Philosophical Society, 

 however, wishing to take that advantage over them, 

 immediately resolved to break through their rule 

 already adopted, which required that new members 

 should be proposed at the meeting preceding that of 



