sand dollars in addition necessary for construction can be in 
like manner obtained, provided that a satisfactory location for 
the building shall be secured. 
And the said trustees, in consideration of the reasons and 
premises aforesaid, respectfully petition the Legislature of the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to grant them and their suc¬ 
cessors, the trustees of the building-fund of the Academy of 
Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, with the consent of the Coun¬ 
cils of Philadelphia, the right and privilege to occupy perma¬ 
nently one of the quarters of Penn’s square with a building 
adapted to the purposes and for the use of said Academy, under 
such provisions as the said Legislature in its wisdom shall deem 
necessary to secure to the public the advantages afforded by 
said Academy, and your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever 
pray. 
W. S. W. Ruschenberger, 
Chairman. 
Geo. W. Tryon, jr., Secretary. 
Wm. S. Vaux, Treasurer. 
Joseph Leidy, 
Wji. P. Wilstach, 
Frederick Graff. 
Ed. S. Whelen, 
John Welsh, 
Thomas Sparks, 
Robert Bridges, 
Joseph Jeanes, 
John Rice, 
John S. Haines. 
The committee reported April 23d that the petition to the 
Legislature had failed, and was discharged. 
Drs. Ruschenberger, Bridges, Leidy and Mr. Tryon were 
then appointed "to prepare, in conjunction with the architect, 
a plan for an economical building,” to be erected on the site at 
the S. W. corner of Nineteenth and Race streets. 
The committee on plans and the architect agreed upon a rate 
of compensation for his services which was approved by the 
board of trustees, and an agreement was accordingly executed. 
In September, Mr. Welsh communicated to the board that 
Mr. Henry C. Gibson generously proposed to give, as a site for 
the new building, a lot situated south of Walnut street, having 
a front of 88 feet on the west side of Twenty-second street, 
and extending westward 223 feet, containing 19,624 square 
feet. 
This munificent offer the board declined to accept. 
The lot at the corner of Nineteenth and Race streets, pur¬ 
chased for the academy, contains 48,528 square feet. It is in 
an improved and improving neighborhood. It is bounded by 
