East and the West, and although now it stands mute and silent it ever was the mouthpiece of the defenders of our rights. A clock was also added to the State House about this time. It was made by Mr. Peter Stretch, and has two dials, which showed their faces under the east and west peaks of the main building. They surmounted a clock case which extended to the ground, and which was modelled in stone, after the form of the old "grandfather clocks" then in every day use.

The materials of which the State House is constructed are, as we all know, brick, stone, marble, and wood. The base of the building is stone quarried from our own Fairmount and no more of it is now accessible. The coignes are cut from the West Chester serpentine quarries, but so faded with age that we can scarcely recognize it as the bright green stone which is such a favorite building material in our modern architecture. The white marble streaked with blue came from the quarries near the Schuylkill, and the bricks were home-made, of Philadelphia red clay. Amongst the different mechanics who participated in its erection, one, the painter and glazier, became a noted man; he was none other than Thomas Godfrey, the inventor of the quadrant..

Mr. Hamilton, having a regard to the social requirements of the Provincial Government, had arranged the second floor of the State House in one long hall with ante-chambers, to be used for banquets, balls, and other entertainments, and on September, 1738, whilst still in an incomplete condition William Allen, Esq., mayor of the city, gave a "raising frolic," which was a feast to the citizens, and to which all strangers were invited; and from that time forward was inaugurated the title of the Banquetting Hall" of the city. The principal of the succeeding entertainments given at the State House was a brilliant ball and supper in the year 1752 by Governor Hamilton in honor of the birthday of King George II. On the 21st of May, 1766, the repeal of the Stamp Act was celebrated with great demonstrations of joy and a dinner at the State House of three hundred covers, at which the mayor presided. After dinner toasts were drunk to the King, the Queen, the Prince of Wales, and all the Royal family, even the House of Lords, and Commons. Before the company dispersed in the Banquetting

Hall they passed a resolution in order to show their affection for the mother country and their gratitude for the repeal, that on the 4th of June, the birthday of our most gracious sovereign, George III, we dress ourselves in the manufactures of England and give our homespun to the poor.

The Governors, especially John and Richard Penn, were frequently feasted at the State House; but the last and certainly the most significant to us of all the banquets was that given to the members of the first Continental Congress in September,

1774.

I cannot close this sketch without a brief history of the Hon. Andrew Hamilton, who certainly was the creative spirit of the State House. Having retired from public life in 1739, he devoted the latter years of his life entirely to this work. He gave to it loving service, although he could have no conception that after the lapse of a century and a half this unpretentious building would have become such a factor in the future history of our Republic, and the venerated monument of the principles of liberty. He was a Scotchman by birth, but came to America and settled under an assumed name. He married a lady of social standing. He studied law, and being ambitious to have a certificate from the highest legal establishment in the world, went to London, England, and graduated at Gray's Inn Temple. He returned to America and settled in Philadelphia, and was on terms of great intimacy with the Penns, besides being their legal adviser. His beautiful country home-called Bush Hill— was cut out from Springettsburg, the home of the Penns, in consideration of his services in the difficulties with Lord Baltimore. Besides being an eminent lawyer, he was made attorney general of the Province, and was for many years speaker of the Provincial Assembly. He lived in great elegance, and his city home was in the fashionable quarter, at the corner of Third and Chestnut Streets, extending back to Dock Creek, now Dock Street; it was called Clarke's Hall, and there his son, Governor James Hamilton, was born. It seems like a romance when we read of the exquisite garden, rare trees and avenues of cedars which beautified his country seat, Bush Hill (which stood on a commanding eminence, overlooking

the Schuylkill River), when we know that it lay between what is now known as Vine Street and Fairmount Avenue, and Twelfth and Nineteenth Streets, a thickly populated district.

Mr. Hamilton was a man of fine appearance; his portrait by Wertmuller depicts a handsome, shrewd face in the wig, gown and bands of an English barrister, and with that of his son, Governor James Hamilton (copied after Benjamin West), in a rich court dress, now adorn the hall of our Pennsylvania Historical Society.

Governor James Hamilton was the son of Mr. Andrew Hamilton, and was twice governor of the Province; he was the first native governor and filled his office with so much dignity and integrity that he became very popular, and his second appointment was to fill the place vacated by Governor John Penn, who was called to England by the death of his father. In 1763 he resigned his position in favor of Governor Richard Penn, the younger brother of John, but still retained his position on the Council Board. He had inherited from his father a strong attachment to the Penn family, and this interest was strengthened by the marriage of his niece to Governor Penn. He had also very loyal feelings to the Crown, and in the year 1752 Governor Hamilton gave a great entertainment at his country seat, Bush Hill, to commemorate the natal day of the King of Great Britain, his majesty, George II. He was unfriendly to the Revolution, but submitted quietly to what he could not control. He died in New York City in 1783, aged seventy-three; he was never married.

ANNE LAW HUBBELL,

Historian Philadelphia Chapter, D. A. R.

GOVERNOR RICHARD PENN BEFORE PARLIAMENT. [In a recent number of the AMERICAN MONTHLY we published numerous extracts from this old volume, "The Weekly Magazine, or Edinburgh Amusement," sent to us by the owner of the volume, Mrs. Paul, of Harrisonburg, West Virginia. Some of the extracts were omitted for want of space. We are glad to open the pages again to the following, which is of unique interest.-ED.]

THIS interesting record of the appearance of Governor Richard Penn before the bar of the House of Lords is a picture of the times worth recalling.

Governor Penn was chosen to present the second petition of Congress to the King, and sailed for London in the summer of 1775 on that mission.

He was a stalwart man, of firm integrity, and an Englishman in all his instincts, but possessed a sense of justice that would not allow him to approve of "taxation without representation."

His relations with Washington and other notables of the Revolution were pleasant. He had a clear vision and was not afraid to state unwelcome truths. His fearless replies must have surprised the law-makers of Great Britain, and the statement of facts no doubt convinced those of their mistake who did not consider "the affair in America an inveterate irruption."-E. B. J.

FROM

"THE

WEEKLY MAGAZINE, OR EDINBURGH AMUSE-
MENT."

November 10, 1775.-The lords were assembled for the purposes of examining Governor Penn, and of discussing a motion. which the Duke of Richmond proposed to ground on such information as that gentleman should afford the house.

Previous to the calling of Mr. Penn to the bar the Duke of Richmond announced the mode he had adopted preparatory to the Governor's examination. His grace confessed " that he had apprised Mr. Penn of the questions which would be propounded to him, but the noble duke disclaimed having entered into any sort of conversation with the Governor, lest such conversation should be malevolently construed into a design of anticipating the answers Mr. Penn might think proper to return."

His grace having fulfilled his preliminary remarks, Mr. Penn was called to the bar and interrogated nearly to the following purport:

Q. How long had he resided in America?

A. Four years. Two of those years in the capacity of Governor of Pennsylvania.

2. Was he acquainted with any of the members of the Continental Congress?

A. He was personally acquainted with all the members of that Congress.

Q. In what estimation was the Congress held?

A. In the highest veneration imaginable by all ranks and orders of men.

Q. Was implicit obedience paid to the resolutions of that Congress throughout all the provinces ?

A. He believed this to be the case.

Q. How many men had been raised throughout the Province of Pennsylvania ?

A. Twenty thousand men had voluntarily enrolled themselves to enter into service if necessity required.

Q. Besides these twenty thousand who voluntarily enrolled themselves to act as exigencies might require, what other forces had the provincials of Pennsylvania raised?

A. Four thousand minute men, whose duty was pointed out by their designation. They were to be ready for service at a minute's warning.

Q. Did the Province of Pennsylvania grow corn sufficient for the supply of its inhabitants?

A. Much more than sufficient; there was a surplus for exportation, if required.

Q. Were they capable of making gunpowder in Pennsylvania? A. They perfectly well understood the art and had effected it. Q. Could saltpeter be made in the Province ?

A. It could.

Q. Could cannon be cast in Pennsylvania?

A. The art of casting cannon had been carried to great perfection; they were amply furnished with iron for the purpose. Q. Could small arms be made to any degree of perfection? A. To as great a degree of perfection as could be imagined. Q. Were the Americans expert in ship-building?

A. More so than the Europeans.

Q. To what extent of tonnage did the largest of their shipping amount?

A. About three hundred tons.