Penn 7 
PROCEEDINGS 
OF THE 
NATURAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION 
C j 
Men, Vill: No. 20; 
The regular meeting of the Association 
was held at the residence of Mr. Howard R. 
Bayne, New Brighton, with the president in 
the chair. 
Mr. T. F. Kane, New Brighton, was 
elected an active member, 
The secretary presented a copy ofa bill 
recently introduced in the Assembly, the 
object of which is to enable the State to ac- 
quire title to the Billopp House and its sur- 
roundings, at Tottenville, and to preserve 
the same; also correspondence relating to 
the matter from Mr A, De Groot, through 
whose active personal interest the bill was 
drafted, stating that a hearing had been ap- 
pointed for Wednesday afternoon, 25th inst., 
before the Committee on Ways and Means, 
at Albany, and requesting that the Associa- 
tion exert its influence to secure favorable 
action by the committee. The secretary aiso 
read the following memoranda on 
SOME PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS TO SECURE PUB- 
LIC CONTROL OF THE BILLOPP HOUSE. 
Numerous efforts have been made in the 
past, by public spirited citizens, to induce the 
Legislature to pass some kind of an act which 
would enable the State or County to secure 
control of the Billopp House, in order that it 
might be preserved, on account of its histori- 
cal associations, and it may be of interest to 
recall the part that our Association has taken 
in connection with these efforts. 
In 1889 a bill was introduced, similar to 
the one now under consideration, and at our 
meeting of Jan. 12th of that year a committee 
was appointed ‘‘with power to act for and to 
_ represent the Association in all matters per- 
taining to the Billopp House and its proposed 
OF STATEN 
ISLAND. 
FEBRUARY 14th, 1903. 
purchase for public property.’’ This com- 
mittee conferred with the representatives of 
the Aspinwall estate, which had control of 
the property, but nothing could be accom- 
plished, 
At our meeting of Dec. 13th, 1890, this 
committee, through its chairman, Mr. Ira K. 
Morris, submitted a report which was printed 
in full in our Proceedings of that date, ac- 
companied by a wood-cut, showing the 
appearance of the house some fifty years pre- 
viously, and on Sept. 11th, 1897, Mr. Morris 
read a paper on ‘Popular Errors Concerning 
Christopher Billopp,” which may be found in 
Vol. vi, No. 9, of our Proceedings. About 
this time the Chamber of Commerce tried to 
arouse an interest in the matter and Mr. 
Morris was again actively at work as a mem— 
ber of that body as well as a member of this 
Association 
In our Proceedings of Sept gth, 1899, may 
be found reference to a rumor regarding im- 
pending legislation and in rgor I had, as 
secretary, more or less correspondence, in 
trying to learn something about a bill identical 
with the present one, which was introduced 
by Assemblyman Van Name, but failed to pass. 
In view of these facts it would seem as if 
we ought to take advantage of the opportun- 
ity now offered and do what may be . within 
our power to help along the pending legisla- 
tion. 
After discussion the following« ions 
v Smithson]a,, ~. 
were formulated and adopted 
Resolved, that this Association ttily in- 
dorses the efforts now being (mad ecquire | 
the Billopp House at Tottehyigle for ptblic’ 
property. 
Wiss + Mas. im 
: _ 
