ABSTRACT FROM THE JUNTO MINUTE BOOK. 115 



Feb. 5th. The Society declines the general vote of 

 election of its members into the Philosophical So- 

 ciety, because the terms of union implied in that 

 election are not equally honorable to both Societies. 

 "As the gentlemen of the American Philosophical 

 Society have conducted themselves politely towards 

 this Society," it was agreed to draw up an answer to 

 their proceedings. Dr. Morgan, Dr. Evans, Mr. 

 Mifflin, and Mr. Owen Biddle were appointed a Com- 

 mittee for this purpose. 



8tli. Answer to the American Philosophical Society 

 submitted, adopted, and entered on the Minutes. It 

 states that "we have existed for some years as a 

 Society for the promotion of natural knowledge, and 

 made some progress therein, useful at least to our- 

 selves, and kept minutes of our proceedings. " The 

 answer does not recognize the American Philosophi- 

 cal Society, as a continuation of that begun in 1743; 

 because it has not met for 15 or 20 years past, has 

 not chosen officers, and is not, as we have good cause 

 to believe, possessed of the books, papers, etc. of the 

 former Society. That, therefore, the American Philo- 

 sophical Society could not claim that appellation till 

 sometime in last month, [Jan. 1768], "and, therefore, 

 is junior compared with the American Society." 

 [This shows that the American Society considered 

 the American Philosophical Society a junior, because 

 it virtually began in Jan. 1768. Qr? if the American 

 Society were conscious that they dated from 1728, 



