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Show OPENING OF TilE HALL. On the 14th of the Fifth month, (May,) 1838, agrceahly to public notice, the Joors of the PENNSYLVANIA IIALL were thrown open, and the spacious saloon was filled with one of the largest audiences ever nssembled in this city. The President of the Association, DANIEL NEALL, took the chair at ten o'clock. The Secretary, \VrtLIAM DonsEv, then made the following statement:" A number of individuals of all sects, and those of no sect,-of all par· ties, nml those of no party,-being desirous that the citizens of Philadelphia :r:~hould possess a room, wherein the principles of Liberty, and Equalii.1J of Civil Rights, could be freely discussed, and the evils of slavery fearlessly portrayed, have erected this building, which we are now about to dedicate to Liberty aud the Rights of Man. The total cost of the building will be about 40,000 Uollars. This has been divided into two thousand shares of twenty tlollars each. A majority of the stockholders are inechanics, or working men, and, (as is the case in almost every other good work,) a number are femnles. The building is not to be used for Jlnti-Slavery purposes alone. It will be rented from time to time, in such portions as shall best suit applicants, for any purpose not of an immoral character. It is called "Pennsylvania Hall," in reference to the principles of Pennsyhania; and our motto, like that of the commonwealth, is 0 VIRTUE, LIBERTY, AND INDEPENDENCE. 11 The following lelters were then read :- Letter of Hon. Francis James, of the Senate of Pennsylvania. 1-IARRTSDURO, Dec .. 22d, 1837. Gentlemen,-! received your favor of the 18th inst. yesterUay. The acceptance of the invitation with which the Managers of tho "Pennsylvania Hall Association" have been pleased to honor me, circumstances, not within my control, oblige me respectfully to decline. But I do so with the kindest feelings toward the objects for which the building was erected, and to which it is to be dedicated . My humble efforts have been uniformlv directed to the maintenance of freeUom of spe~ch and of the press, as wCil as to the rights of man generally; and I reJoice to know that there is, at least, one hou~e within this ~reat co~monwealth, wherein those rights may be advocated, free from Interruption. Please present my acknowledgments to the Managers of your Association, for the honor intenUed to be conferred upon me, and accept for yourselves and them assurances of my friendship and regard. Very respectfully, :lfe!srs. Samut.'l Wt:hh :1.nd \Vrn. II. Scott,-Cumrnittec. FRANCIS J Al\11-:S. Null'I'H EAsT, ( Pa.) FcL. 5th, 1838. C/ui3·tiun .Friend:; ctlid Pellow Labot·ers,-Yours of the 26th ultimo, has just come to hand. Please accept n~y th.an~s, .and tender the1~ to the Association for which you act, for the kuHl mvilatwn you have gtvcn me ~o be present at the opening of your Hall, and make an address on the occaswn. In reply, I can only say that it would a~ord me muc.h pl.easure to ~ttend your meeting, but am not yet able to de~erm.me whether ll w1ll be practicable for me so to do or not; most probably It will not. . . If, howe,•er, Providence should open the way for 1t, l wtl! m~st gladi.Y avail myself of the privilege. At all events, my whole heart IB wtth you 111 this blessed enterprise of mercy. Most respectfully, Yours in the cause of love, WILLIA~t A. ADAm. Samuel \VciJIJ, J. :\1. Tt·uJMu, \Vm, McKee, Peter 'Vt'ight,-Commiltu. PETERBORO, Dec. 26th, 1837. :Messrs. S. 'Vchb and \Vm. H. Scott. Much Esteemed Friends,-Your fa\'Or of the 18th instant came to !land yesterday. I h~d! several da_ys bef~re, received the Extra of ~he ~at,I,onal Enquirer contauung a very mteresung account of the celebrat1on 111 • the Carpente~'s Shop," and my whole heart rejoice~! in th~,noble entcr~nse of the ~tockho!Uers and builders of the" Pennsylvanm Hall; long may th1s Hall stand to testify to the sacred regan~ for H.uman Rights in which it o.rigina.ted, and to furnish rich grat~fications of the nund to the love~s of Free D1scusswn. The honor done me by your Board of Managers 1s gratefully a~know· !edged by me; such, however, arc my circumstan.ce~, a.nd s~ pressi.ng are the demands on my time, that I cannot accept the mvttalton to deliver an address" on the occasion of the opening of the Hall. De assured that I should rejoice to be with you-with th.e frien~s of the ~reedom of Speech, and of che.rished humanity, on that mterestmg occaswn-but under the claims of my business to my time, I find it very di~lcult to leave home. J am, with great rcgarU, your fnend, GERRIT SmTH. ALTON, March 2, 1838. 'l'o the CommiltCC of the l'cnnsyl\altia II all Association . Gentlemen-Your favor of January 26th came to hanU last week. And while I shall ~ver cherish towards you sentiments of gratitude and respect for the honor of your invitation, and the expression of con~dence to~va!Us one as obscure as myself; an_d although it wou!d be exe~~dwgly gr.atJfymK to my feelings to be present with you at the openmg of the Hall o~ Liberty, and to add my feeble testimony to yours in fa~or of the caus~ of unmcdtate emancipation, I regret to be under the necessitY: of announcmg to you t~1at circumstances will not permit me to comply wtth your request .. Havmg been absent from my official charge during last spring an~ summ~r, Jt w~uld be very improper in the peculiarly ard~1ous and respons1ble station which, in the J>rovidence of God, I am perm1tted to occupy, to leave for two or three months my fJCid of labor. \Vere I to consult my own feelings, merely, I would gladly accede. to your invitation, aud hasten to your city. But greater and paramount clutJCs seem to forbid. You will therefore, sirs, accept for yourselves, an~ your honored coadjutors, my warmest thanks ; and for the" cawu" in whiCh we |