11 
Faraday, Cuvier, Arago, Linnaeus, Galvani, or Humboldt. A 
single first class brain, rendered perfect by culture, is worth more 
to a nation than the aggregate cost of all its libraries and muse¬ 
ums during a half century. What sum of money would be an 
equivalent in the estimation of France for the works and renown 
of Cuvier; and what sum would we be unwilling to spend to pro¬ 
duce an American who should eclipse and surpass in scientific 
merit the greatest of the distinguished men of European nations. 
The governments of Europe provide for their subjects the 
means and appliances necessary to attain the highest culture. 
In this respect their example might be advantageously imitated, 
to some extent at least, by our own rulers. In this belief the 
Board of Trustees of the building fund, on behalf of the Academy, 
has joined with other societies in the application for the occu¬ 
pancy of the Penn squares, [and hopes that the great object 
sought will justify, in the opinion of all interested, the course it 
has pursued. 
It is hoped that both the state and municipal legislatures will 
perceive that, by permitting the Penn squares to be occupied for 
the purpose in view, which is in perfect accord with the appropria¬ 
tion of these squares by William Penn, they will simply encour¬ 
age a project which looks to the common welfare ; and without 
the appropriation of a dollar or conferring any special advantage 
or exclusive privilege on the societies engaged in it, they will 
secure the foundation of a most useful and attractive establish¬ 
ment. It is anticipated that the realization of this idea will 
exert an improving influence indirectly on our university and 
other educational institutions, and taken in connection with our 
city park, churches, charities and places of public amusement, it 
will greatly contribute towards rendering Philadelphia the most 
desirable place of residence and temporary sojourn in the United 
States. 
Competent legal scrutiny demonstrates that it was designed by 
the Proprietary of Pennsylvania that the Penn squares should 
be occupied by buildings and not left open ; and that the four 
squares in the city known as Logan, Franklin, Washington and 
Rittenhouse squares should remain forever unoccupied to serve, 
through the agency of trees planted in them, as means of purifi- 
