94 KEPOET OF THE COMMITTEE 



that he used the harsh term attributed to him. His 

 successor, Eichard Penn, showed both better manners 

 and better sense than to refuse the same honour; 

 for, on the 22nd of January 1773, he attended, as 

 patron, the oration of the Eev. Dr. Smith before the 

 United Society, still under the Presidentship of 

 Franklin. See Chronological Statement, Marked C, 

 under this date. 



There is reason to believe that the members of the 

 Philosophical Society did not generally partake of 

 the hostile feelings of the Governor towards Frank- 

 lin. This may be inferred from the character of 

 the second meeting of the United Society, at which 

 40 members were present, 5 common to the two 

 parent Societies, 16 belonging to the Philosophical 

 and 19 to the American Society. So large a number 

 as 16 members of the Philosophical Society would 

 hardly have been present at the first meeting after 

 th election of Franklin, if deep dissatisfaction had 

 been felt at the result. 



The Committee now pass from the analysis of Mr. 

 Du Ponceau's paper to a brief consideration of that 

 of Mr. Fisher. The unsettled points relating to the 

 early history of our Society, have been so fully dis- 

 cussed in what precedes, that little remains to be said 

 in relation to the latter paper. 



Mr. Fisher is, perhaps, not quite correct in saying 

 that the Franklin- Junto "had no written communi- 

 cations, and possessed no library"; for Franklin says 



