tinued until the past year; when public feeling being much in favour of restoring the venerated building to its former character, (as seen when it became the Hall of Independence) a new steeple was again erected as much like the former as circumstances would admit. The chamber in which the representatives signed the memorable declaration, on the eastern side first floor, we are sorry to add, is not in the primitive old style of wainscotted and pannelled grandeur in which it once stood in appropriate conforinity with the remains still found in the great entry and stairway. To remove and destroy these, made a job for some of the former sapient commissioners, but much to the chagrin of men of taste and feeling, who felt, when La Fayette possessed that chamber (five years ago) as his appropriate hall of audience, that it was robbed of half its associations! For that eventful occasion, and duly to honour"the nation's guest," (who cordially invited all our citizens to visit him) all the former interior furniture of benches and forms occupying the floor were removed, and the whole area was richly carpeted and furnished with numerous mahogany chairs, &c.

To revert back to the period of the Revolution, when that hall was consecrated to perpetual fame, by the decisive act of the most talented and patriotic convention of men that ever represented our country, brings us to the contemplation of those hazards and extremities which "tried men's souls."-Their energies and civic virtues were tested in the deed. Look at the sign-manual in their signatures; not a hand faultered-no tremor affected any but Stephen Hopkins who had a natural infirmity. We could wish to sketch with picturesque effect the honoured groupe who thus sealed the destinies of a nation. The genius of Trumbull has done this so far as canvass could accomplish it. Another groupe, formed solely of citizens, was soon afterwards assembled by public call, to hear the declaration read in the State-house yard.

When the regular sessions of the Assembly were held in the State-house the Senate occupied up-stairs, and the Lower House in the same chamber since called the Hall of Independence. In the former, Anthony Morris is remembered as Speaker, occupying an elevated chair facing the north-himself a man of amiable mien, contemplative aspect, dressed in a suit of drab cloth, flaxen hair slightly powdered, and his eyes fronted with spectacles. The representative chamber had George Latimer for Speaker, seated with face to the west-a well-formed, manly person, "his fair large front and eye sublime declared absolute rule."

The most conspicuous persons which struck the eye of a lad, was Mr. Coolbaugh, a member from Berks, called the Dutch giant, from his great amplitude of stature and person; and Doctor Michael Leib, the active democratic member-a gentleman of much personal beauty, always fashionably dressed, and seen often *Their plain and fairly legible hands might shame the modern affectation of many who make signatures not to be read.

moving to and fro in the House, to hold his converse with other members.

But these halls of legislation and court uses were not always restricted to grave debate and civil rule. It sometimes (in colonial days) served the occasion of generous banqueting, and the consequent hilarity and jocund glee. In the long gallery up-stairs, where Peale afterwards had his Museum, the long tables had been sometimes made to groan with their long array of bountiful repast. I shall mention some such occasions, to wit:

In September, 1736, soon after the edifice was completed, his Honour William Allen, Esq. the Mayor, made a feast at his own expense, at the State-house, to which all strangers of note were invited. The Gazette of the day says, "All agree that for excellency of fare, and number of guests, it was the most elegant entertainment ever given in these parts.

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In August, 1756, the Assembly then in session, on the occasion of the arrival of the new Governor Denny, gave him a great dinner at the State-house, at which were present "the civil and military officers and clergy of the city."

In March, 1757, on the occasion of the visit of Lord Loudon as Commander in Chief of the King's troops in the colonies, the city corporation prepared a splendid banquet at the State-house, for himself and General Forbes, then commander at Philadelphia, and southward, together with the officers of the royal Americans, the Governor, gentlemen strangers, civil officers, and clergy.

Finally, in 1774, when the first Congress met in Philadelphia, the gentlemen of the city, having prepared them a sumptuous entertainment at the State-house, met at the City tavern, and thence went in procession to the dining hall, where about 500 persons were feasted, and the toasts were accompanied by music and great guns.

For many years the public papers of the colony, and afterwards of the city and State, were kept in the east and west wings of the State-house, without any fire-proof security as they now possess. From their manifest insecurity, it was deemed expedient about nine years ago to pull down those former two story brick wings, and to supply their place by those which are now there. In former times such important papers as rest with the Prothonotaries, were kept in their offices at their family residences. Thus Nicholas Biddle long had his in his house, one door west of the present Farmers and Mechanics Bank, in Chesnut street; and Edward Burd had his in his office, up a yard in Fourth street below Walnut street. In pulling down the western wing, Mr. Grove, the master mason, told me of several curious discoveries made under the foundation, in digging for the present cellars. Close by the western wall of the State-house at the depth of four or five feet he came to a keg of excellent flints; the wood was utterly decayed, but the impression of the keg was distinct in the loam ground. Near to it he found,

at the same depth, the entire equipments of a sergeant-a sword, musket, cartouch-box, buckles, &c.-the wood being decayed left the impressions of what they had been. They also dug up, close by the same, as many as one dozen bomb-shells filled with powder. And two of these, as a freak of the mason's lads. are now actually walled into the new cellar wall on the south side. But for this explanation a day may yet come when such a discovery might give circulation to another Guy Faux and gunpowder-plot story!

STATE-HOUSE INN.

(ILLUSTRATED BY A PLATE.]

THE crowds of gay passengers who now promenade the line of Chesnut street, especially the younger part, who behold the costly edifices which crowd the whole range of their long walk, have little or no conception of the former blank and vacant features of the street, devoid of those mansions in which they now feel their pride and admiration. It is only thirty years ago since the north side of Chesnut street, facing the State-house, now so compact and stately in its houses, had but two good houses in the whole line of the street from Fifth to Sixth street; but one of these now remain-the present residence of P. S. Duponceau, Esq. at the north east corner of Sixth street. The whole scene was an out-town spectacle, without pavement, and of uninviting aspect. In the midst of this area stood the State-house Inn, a small two-story tavern, of rough-dashed construction, very old, being marked with the year 1693 as its birth-year. It stood back a little from the line of the street, but in lieu of a green court-yard to gratify the eye, the space was filled with bleached oyster shells the remains of numerous years of shells left about the premises at occasions of elections, &c. It looked like a sea-beach tavern. That single and diminutive inn for a long time gave all the entertainment then taken by the court suitors, or by those who hung about the colonial Assemblies and the primitive Congress. But desolate as it looked in front and rear, having a waste lot of commons instead of garden shrubbery, and the neighbouring lots equally open and cheerless, there was a redeeming appendage in a range of lofty and primitive walnut trees, which served as distant pointers to guide the stranger to the venerable State-house-itself beyond the verge of common population.

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Of those trees we have something special and interesting to say They were the last remains within the city precincts of that primitive forest which had been the cotemporary of Penn the founder. There they had stood at the infant cradling of our nation, and had survived to see our manhood and independence asserted in that memorable "Hall of Independence" before which they stood.

When Richard Penn first came to this country, and was shown by Samuel Coates these primitive remains of his grandfather's eventful day, the crowd of associations which pressed upon his mind made him raise his hands in exclamation, and his eyes burst forth in tears.

It would have been grateful to have retained those trees, but they came to the axe before their time, to make way for city improve

ments. The last of them was taken down in 1818, from before the office of Mr. Ridgway, No. 183, from a fear that its height and heaviness, in case of being blown over, might endanger the houses near it. In falling across the street diagonally it reached with its branches the eastern end of the State-house-as if to take its last leave of the Hall of Independence there. It was found to be sound and to have had 146 years growth. Several snuff-boxes, inlaid with other relic-wood, have been made from its remains, and distributed among such as have fellowship with such local recollections.*

As early as the days of William Penn, the inn had been used as an out-town tavern. The ancient black Alice, who lived there, used to tell with pleasure that Master William Penn would stop there and refresh himself in the porch with a pipe, for which she always had his penny.

In the colonial days it was long known as "Clarke's Inn," at which he had the sign of the "coach and horses.” All that we can say of "mine host." is, that he prepared dogs-real dogs!—for cooking the meat of the epicures and gentry! In 1745 he advertises in the public prints, that "he has for sale several dogs and wheels, much preferable to any jacks for roasting any joint of meat." Few Philadelphians of modern times would be likely to understand what was meant. Our modern improvements are so great that we have little conception of the pains-taking means they once employed for roast meats. They trained little bow-legged dogs, called spit-dogs, to run in a hollow cylinder, like a squirrel, by which impulse was given to a turnjack, which kept the meat in motion, suspended before the kitchen fire. We pity the little dogs and their hard service while we think of them! As cookingtime approached, it was no uncommon thing to see the cooks running about the street looking up their truant labourers. What a relief to them was self-moving jacks! and, still more, what have tin kitchens since produced for us!

Mr. Edward Duffield tells me that when he was a boy he saw the voters of the whole county giving in their votes at Clarke's inn. On that occasion he saw the whole crowd put in commotion by an accident which befel a horse there. He had been hitched to a fence, and in pulling backward fell into a concealed and covered well of water; after being got up once he fell down a second time, and was again recovered-strange to tell-without injury! Such a covered and concealed well, of excellent water too, was lately discovered near there in the garden of Jacob Ridgway.

After the Revolution the inn was known as the "Half Moon,' by Mr. Hassell, and much its attractions were increased by the charms of his only daughter Norah, "passing fair," who drew after her the Oglebys of the day.

*Since penning the above the publication "La Fayette in America," Vol. 2, page 232, speaks with much commendation of such a box given to General La Fayette.