wards, for the collection of sufficient funds to defray the costs of the projected improvements, but as this process was too slow, I took myself the list, and during three days' riding about in Upper and Lower Neck, obtained as we thought, a sufficient sum for the aforesaid repairs. The Congregation elected in the month of August 1770, John Beetle and Charles Green to be managers in prosecuting the work. A church mecting was held in September to inspect the church and decide on what repairs were necessary. Charles Green and Squire Jenickson were authorized to purchase the necessary materials and to contract with workmen, and John Beetle undertook to collect the money; but when the time for commencing the work arrived, no nails were to be had in the country, and the work had hence to be postponed till next spring, when it might be expected that nails would be imported from England, as the "non importation act" had been abolished.

The subscription list for these three aforesaid repairs will be properly entered in this book, if they ever should be obtained from the persons who have been entrusted with them; if not, I shall not be held responsible by posterity for their oblivion.

In regard to the Sunday collections taken during my time, they were treasured up by Anders V. Neaman of Salem for the first six or seven years, and expended by him from time to time for petty necessities and repairs of the church, without being reg. ularly accounted for, the faithful discharge of the trust reposed in him never being suspected. John Beetle took afterwards charge of the money in the same manner, and has paid for divers trifling repairs, &c., as to old Brown for clearing the church yard and repairing the railing, also expended it in buying wine for the Lord's Supper, and for having ready a glass of wine in church for the minister when he had concluded his sermon; this I have of late found absolutely necessary for keeping my throat well, especially at certain seasons of the year, when the heat and cold are extreme, and also for a minister who is unaccustomed to preaching before breakfast; for want of which I often injured my throat during the first six or seven years.

I have never been able to obtain a permanent sexton in this Congregation on account of no one being able, as was said, to sing in English. I have hence been obliged to do without one as well as I could, sometimes having singing and at others none; but latterly, after becoming better acquainted with the people, I have had an opportunity to urge with success the establishment of singing schools, with which a commencement has been made

ers.

at Mananthan, and since then I have rarely been in want of singThe only one who sang during the first year was Hance Lambson of Lower Neck, who always did his best when present and responded to the service.

N. B. I have not been able to obtain the subscription list for the new partition in the church, and on inquiry I was told that the list in passing through so many hands had been mislaid and lost by some one.

The third reparation has at last been completed this spring, and the greater part of the wages of the labourers been paid, whatever money is still due on the subscription will be immediately collected for paying the carpenter Dennies and settling other charges; the other carpenter, Erick Philport, has been paid. The accounts must be settled by the Congregation with John Beetle, the mason Green and Hance Lambson, who have had the whole proceeds of the subscription in their handsamounting altogether to about £40.

A true translation from the Swedish, by

STEEN BILLE,

17th August, 1846.

PRINCETON, September 27th, 1748.

THE SOCIETY met at this place at 12 o'clock-the President, Hon. JOSEPH C. HORNBLOWER, in the Chair.

After the minutes of the last meeting were read and approved, the Corresponding Secretary laid before the members letters. from Major JAMES D. GRAHAM, U. S. A., BENJ. F. THOMPSON, Esq., of Hempstead, L. I.; WM. RANKIN, Jr., Esq., of Cincin nati, Ohio, and BENJ. DUBOIS, M. D, of Franklin, Ohio, in ac knowledgment of their election as honorary and corresponding members-from Col. R. G. JOHNSON, first Vice President, transmitting a Medal stamped in honor of Washington-from DAVID M. BATES, Esq., Secretary of the State of Delaware in reply to the Circular of the Society requesting donations of State Papers-from the Pennsylvania Historical Society-the Ameri can Antiquarian Society:-and various other communications referring to the operations of the Society.

The Secretary also stated that he had received from the family of Dr. J. S. Condit, the late Recording Secretary, and deposited in the Library, some interesting memoranda relative to the families of the earlier settlers on the east side of the Passaic, which he had collected.

The Librarian reported, that the Books of the Society had been removed to their permanent location-in the new edifice of the Newark Library Association-and considerable progress made in their classification and arrangement.

The Treasurer reported, through the Recording Secretary, that the balance in the Treasury amounted to $550 25, and that there was due from members for admission fees and annual dues, $1,336 68-as follows:

Mr. CHARLES KING, from the Committee on Publications, reported that the publication of the Society's periodical had been continued, and that nothing was wanting to insure its improve. ment but punctuality on the part of the members in transmitting their subscriptions to the Treasurer. He also reported that Mr. Field, having placed the MS. of his Paper on the Provincial

Bench and Bar at the disposal of the Society, the Committee recommended the immediate publication of the Memoir. Whereupon the following resolutions were adopted:

Resolved, That the Committee on Publications be authorized to make the necessary arrangements for publishing withont delay a third volume of "Collections," to contain the Memoir on the Provincial Bench and Bar, read before the Society by RICHARD S. FIELD, Esq.

Resolved, That to Members of the Society, subscribing for the work in advance of its publication, copies shall be furnished at

the net cost.

Mr. WM. B. KINNEY, from the Committee on the subject, reported that they had caused the Library Room of the Society to be fitted up with shelves, and had made arrangements for other fixtures and additions, which, when perfected, would afford every facility for members engaged in historical researches.

Dr. MURRAY, from the Committee on Nominations, announced the names of a number of gentlemen proposed as Resident mem bers, who were duly elected, and new nominations were received.

The order of business was here suspended for the purpose of hearing some statements by JOSEPH HENRY, LL.D., respecting the organization, objects, and progress of the SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION at Washington, of which he is the Secretary.

After a full exposition of the scope of the institution, Dr. HENRY proceeded to give an account of the various measures in operation for carrying into effect the princples upon which it was founded.

A number of original memoirs have been accepted for publi cation, and the first volume of the contributions is now in the hands of the binder, and will be ready for delivery to public institutions in the course of a few days. It consists of a single memoir on the antiquities of the Mississippi valley, by Messrs. Squier & Davis. A highly interesting addition to knowledge, resting on original research. In order to remunerate the authors for the expense which occurred in the investigations detailed in the work, the Institution allows them to strike from the same plates and type an edition which they may sell for their own benefit. No expense has been spared on the mechanical part of the volume-the best artists have been employed, and the execution will bear comparison with any book of the kind yet published in this country or Europe. Preparations have also been made to commence the second volume, which will consist principally of a series of original miscellaneous papers on different branches of physical science.

The librarian has been engaged in collecting statistics of libraries, and forming collections of catalogues and other works, re quired in carrying out the plan of rendering the Smithsonian a centre of bibliographical knowledge, where the student may be directed to any work which he may require.

In order to facilitate the study of American History, the Institution has agreed to publish, and distribute to our public insti tutions, a work, comprising a description of all books relating to America, prior to the year 1700, which may be found in the public. and private libraries of Europe and America, or which are de scribed in other works, together with notices of many of the more important unpublished manuscripts. The names of the different libraries, both in this country and in Europe, in which the books are to be found will be mentioned.

The expense of preparation of this work will be defrayed by subscription; and such is the estimate of its importance, as well as the confidence reposed in the gentleman, Mr. Henry Stevens, who has engaged in this enterprise, that subscriptions to the amount of $5000 have already been made by several public institutions and liberal individuals. Mr. S. has just sailed for Europe to commence his labors, and intends to employ a number of assistants in England, and in different parts of the continent.

Under the head of original researches, preparations are making for the establishment of an extended system of meteorolgical observations, embracing, as far as possible, the whole American continent. It is believed that the co-operation of the British government will be obtained, as well as that of several States of the Union. Also, a series of explorations have been established with reference to terrestrial magnetism, and other subjects connected with the physical geography of the United States.

It is intended to introduce gradually and cautiously the other parts of the plan; and indeed, according to the present arrangement, the programme could not be carried into full operation until after three years from next March. Up to that time one half of the whole income is to be devoted to the building.

Dr. H. stated that almost every day furnished him with new evidence of the importance to the science and literature of our country, which might be made to result from a judicious expenditure of the income of the Institution. He regretted that in order to make provision for the accommodation of the Museum of the Exploring Expedition, as directed by the act of Congress, so large an amount of money was required for the erection of the build. ings. The evil, however, which would result from this is in a measure obviated by the plan proposed by Professor Bache, and