the burning of the building called the Pennsylvania Hall, in Sixth street, in the city of Philadelphia, on the night of Thursday, the 17th instant, or in setting fire to the building called the Orphans' Asylum, in Thirteenth street, in the said city, on the night of Friday, the 18th instant, to be paid on the due conviction of each and every one of the persons aforesaid.

And all Judges, Justices, Sheriffs, Coroners, Constables, and other Officers within this Commonwealth, are hereby required and enjoined to be attentive and vigilant in inquiring after and bringing to justice the person or persons guilty of the crime aforesaid.

Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the State, this twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord, one Thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight, and of the Commonwealth the sixty-second.

By the Governor.

THOMAS H. BURROWS, Secretary of the Commonwealth.

In a few days after the burning of the Hall the following letter, enclosing the sum of one hundred dollars, was received by the Treasurer of the Pennsylvania Hall Association.' It was without date, but post-marked "Philadelphia, June 6th." The money has been appropriated as di

66

rected.

"The enclosed sum is intended to aid in disseminating, among the citizens of Pennsylvania, correct information respecting the anti-slavery cause, generally, and particularly what relates to the late disgraceful attack upon the right of free discussion by the mob who burned Pennsylvania Hall,"

The following minutes of a meeting of the stockholders of the Association show that the course pursued by the Managers of the Hall is approved by those whom they represented.

Philadelphia, Fifth month 30, 1838.

At a meeting of the stockholders of the " Pennsylvania Hall Association," held this evening in Sandiford Hall, John Longstreth was called to the chair, and George M. Alsop appointed Secretary.

The Managers presented a report of their proceedings, together with a detailed statement of the course pursued by them in regard to the destruction of the Pennsylvania Hall on the night of the 17th inst. The report was adopted; and on motion,

Resolved, That this meeting approve of the conduct of the Managers, and that the thanks of the stockholders are due, and hereby tendered to them, for their indefatigable attention to our interests in the erection of the "Pennsylvania Hall," and that we deeply sympathize with them in the undeserved trials through which they have passed.

Resolved, That the Managers be requested to continue their attention to the subject, and apply to the Court for the damages which they and we have sustained, as speedily as practicable, and that when received, after deducting all expenses and charges attending the erection of the Hall, that they divide the nett proceeds among the stockholders of this Association, rateably in proportion to the stock held by each.

Attest-George M. Alsop, Secretary.

JOHN LONGSTRETH, Chairman.

We now entreat our fellow citizens, for their own sakes, to make a stand against the spirit of mob insolence whose outrages we have detailed, and in asserting our rights protect their own. Who were the men who so lately assumed the ascendency in this city, and trampled its laws in the dust? At the burning of our Hall, the Saloon contained a number of well-dressed men, (it being nearly as light as day,) and yet the officer who ventured among them "could not discover a single inhabitant of Philadelphia." police officer of Spring Garden bears a similar testimony in relation to those

The

who attacked the "Shelter for Colored Orphans." Moreover, anonymous writers in Southern newspapers, calling themselves Southerners, have declared that they were present at the scene of destruction, and assisted in the work.

The gross and ridiculous charges brought against us, for the purpose of justifying the outrage, have no foundation in truth. We are conscious of no act which can be tortured into a departure from prudence or consistency, or our duty as citizens, and as men having in common with our fellow-men a deep stake in the public welfare and peace. The placards posted up on the night of the 14th, were no doubt decided upon (and probably written) before a word was said, or any act done at the dedication of the Hall. Individuals, who consider themselves respectable, are known to have threatened (whilst the building was erecting) that it would be burnt down as soon as it was finished.

We submit this statement to the candid perusal of our fellow citizens. It is not for ourselves that we make this appeal. Our building has been destroyedwe have already suffered all that we can suffer as the "Pennsylvania Hall Association." The damage has been done, Therefore, it is not for ourselves, or those whom we have the honor to represent, that we now appeal to the friends of order and law. It is for the rights of the citizens generally, for our country and our country's laws, that we ask them to frown down this lawless and evil spirit which is walking abroad, causing consternation and alarm to take the place of quiet confidence and security.

DANIEL NEALL,
HENRY GREW,

WILLIAM H. SCOTT,

JOSEPH WOOD,

THOMAS HANSELL,

CALEB CLOTHIER,

JACOB HAARS,

JOSEPH M. TRUMAN,
PETER WRIGHT,
SAMUEL WEBB,

WILLIAM DORSEY,

WILLIAM M'KEE,

JOHN H. CAVender,

Managers of the Pennsylvania Hall Association.