it is at the south-western corner; and further, that "when Gov. Findlay went through the form of laying it, he accidentally broke the mallet, which was considered by the assemblage of people as a bad omen."

FURNISHING STATE CAPITOL.

An act providing for the furnishing of the State Capitol, and for other purposes therein mentioned, was passed March 30, 1821. Section 1. The Governor, Auditor General, State Treasurer, William Graydon, Jacob Bucher, Francis R. Shunk, and Joseph A. M'Ginsey appointed commissioners to superintend the furnishing the State Capitol.

Section 2. Commissioners to contract in manner provided, for providing furniture for the Executive, enumerating the articles.

Sections 3, 4 and 5 provide in like manner for furnishing furniture, closets, &c., for chambers of the Senate and House, and for the joint library and committee rooms, together with a sixfaced clock, four of which shall be outside the dome, one to be fixed in a suitable place in the Senate Chamber, and the other in the Hall of the House of Representatives.

Section 6 provides for building out-houses, levelling public grounds, paving, and authorizing the putting the telescope in the Library in complete order.

Section 7. The sum of $15,000 appropriated, to be drawn on the warrant of the Governor to meet the foregoing provisions.

DEEDS FOR PUBLIC GROUND, WITH THEIR DATES.

Cost $490, from John Fleck and wife to Commonwealth, for lots Nos. 271 and 272, August 27, 1828.

Cost $200, from Ebenezer Ward and wife to Commonwealth, for lot No. 273, July 16, 1828.

Cost $200, from Joseph Black to Commonwealth, for lot No. 274, August 7, 1828.

Cost $300, from John Trimble and wife to Commonwealth, for lot No. 275, August 4, 1828.

The foregoing lots had for their boundaries High street, South street, Farmers' lane and Cranberry alley, authority for the purchase of which was given by act of Assembly, passed April 14, 1828.

The above lots, it appears by reference to acknowledgments of purchase moneys, cost the Commonwealth $1100, which, after cutting off such parts as were needed for public use, sold for $412.

SALE OF PART OF THE ABOVE LOTS.

The third section of an act to provide for additional clerk hire, &c., passed the 22d day of April, 1829, provides that the commissioners appointed to superintend the improvements of the public grounds attached to the State Capitol, or a majority of them, are authorized to sell such parts of five lots of ground adjoining each other, lying east of High street, in Harrisburg, which was purchased by them in pursuance of the provisions of an act passed April 14, 1828, as they may deem necessary for the extension and improvement of the said public grounds, and to execute a deed or deeds conveying an estate in fee simple therefor to the purchaser or purchasers thereof; and the money arising from such sale shall be added to the fund already appropriated by law for the improvement of the said public ground, under the direction of the said commissioners.

The record of the sale of the lots is found in the accounting department of the State, as follows:

July 10, 1829, from James Trimble, two lots,

July 13, 1829, from Henry Buehler, one lot,

July 13, 1829, from Mr. Carson,

Total,

$239 00

58 00

115 00

REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS,

Dated Harrisburg, November 27, 1827, and signed by J. D. Barnard, Secretary of the Commonwealth; David Mann, Auditor General; William Clark, State Treasurer; united in by C. Blythe, Secretary of Commonwealth; Alex. Mahon, State Treasurer:

January 11, 1828.-(See Journal of the House of Representatives, 1827-8, page 675.) The report is full and complete, evidences the ragged and uneven surface of the grounds, the marshy character of State street, the excavations necessary in front of the Arsenal, and recommends that the grounds be surrounded with an iron palisade or railing, on a low stone wall, containing the necessary number of entrances or gates, with the planting of trees in proper places.

From the fact that they ask for an appropriation of $187 25 to cover deficiencies, the sum of $5,000 specially appropriated by act of 16th of April, 1816, appears to have been overrun. An accompanying statement of expenditures show work to have been done amounting to $5,187 25.

THE HARRISBURG ACADEMY.

The Harrisburg Academy, to which the State had become a patron as early as the year 1809, the Legislature having passed an act on the 4th of April of that year appropriating the sum of $1,000 "to enable these trustees to purchase a lot of ground whereupon to erect a suitable building," having for a number of years owned under title from the State a part of the now public grounds, is necessarily connected with their history.

"An act for the aid of the Harrisburg Academy.

"SECT. 1. Be it enacted, &c., That there is hereby granted to the Trustees of the Harrisburg Academy, and to their suc

cessors, forever, the following described part of the public grounds in the borough of Harrisburg, to wit: Beginning at the corner of High and Walnut streets, thence up High street eighty-five feet six inches; thence south forty-five degrees west one hundred and sixty-three feet four inches; thence by a straight line to a point one hundred and fifty-eight feet four inches from the place of beginning, and thence in a straight line to the place of beginning, containing fifty-six perches and eighttenths, for the purpose of erecting thereon a building for an Academy, and for no other purposes whatsoever.

Approved March 8, 1814."

The foregoing donation was a clear violation of the purpose of John Harris and wife, as expressed in their deed of conveyance to the Commonwealth, although within a liberal construction of its language.

The Legislature, however, finding that they had committed an error in this generous donation, and that the intended improvements would be obstructed by it, passed a resolution on the 11th of April, 1825, authorizing and requiring the Secretary of the Commonwealth and the State Treasurer to purchase of the Trustees of the Harrisburg Academy, for the use of the Commonwealth, the lot of ground adjoining the Arsenal, granted to the Trustees of the said Academy by the act of March 8, 1814, for a price not exceeding $500. The purpose of this resolution was consummated March 28, 1831, when the sum of $500 was paid to the Trustees of the Academy.

PROPOSED EXTENSION OF THE CAPITOL GROUNDS TO THE RIVER.

A resolution was passed by the Legislature, April 11, 1825, authorizing the Secretary of the Commonwealth and State Treasurer to purchase the several lots in front of the State Capitol, lying between North street and South street, and Third

street and the river, being the then village of Maclaysburg, but the purchase was subsequently abandoned in consequence of the high prices at which the said lots were sold, and the difficulty of obtaining the will of all the owners required by the act to sell.

The price asked for the lots as reported by viewers, headed by Archibald M'Allister, was $24,400.

FIRST OCCUPANCY OF THE STATE CAPITOL.

We conclude our sketch of the public buildings and grounds by a description of the ceremonies observed at the inauguration of the State Capitol.

The following extract from the House Journal, December 21, 1821, indicates that the session had been opened at the usual place in Harrisburg (Court-House) in that year, for the last time:

"Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives, That when the Legislature meets at the new State Capitol, on Wednesday, the 2d of January next, that it is highly proper, before either House proceeds to business, they unite in prayer to Almighty God, imploring His blessing on their future deliberations, and that the joint committee already appointed be authorized to make the necessary arrangements for that purpose."

"Wednesday, January 2, 1822.-On motion of Mr. Lehman and Mr. Todd, the House proceeded to the building lately occupied by the Legislature, and joined the procession to the Capitol, and attended to the solemnities directed by the resolution of the 21st ultimo, relative to the ceremonies to be observed by the Legislature upon taking possession of the State Capitol "

On Thursday, the 3d of January, a motion was made by Mr. Cassat and Mr. Wierman, which read as follows:

"Resolved, That the committee of arrangements be requested to procure a copy of the introductory prayer and address deliv