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Show 190 APPENDIX, hand, unite in vindicating ami asserting the supremacy of the law, it is easy to foresee that we shall soon have only to choose between the extremes of that insecurity of life and property which fiow.s from the _government of _a mob, or the more degrading state of security to both, obtamed by the sacnfice of civil liberty. July 2cl, 1838. JoHN S. \VARNER, C!tairman. A. FERGUSON, GEORGE ! ·lANDY, ISAAC ELLIOTT, JOliN p. W ETIIERJLL, J. L. FENil'IIORE. Committee on Police. APPENDIX. A. Copy of a letter addressed by Jolm S. Warner, Chairman of the Committee on Police, To Danid .1\ "eall, Esq., P1-esident of the Bo.'lrd of Managers of Pennsylvania Hall: Sir,-You will see from the enclosed Preamble and Resolution that the Police Committee are required to examine into and report to Councils upon the subject of the destruction of the Pennsylvania Hall on the night of the 17th of May last. I am instructed by the Committee to make this commu~ nication, and to inform you that they will meet for that purpose on lite 6tlt instant, and if you have any communication to make on the subject, to ad-dress Your obedient servant, (Signed,) JouN S. WARNER, Cltairman of Committee on Pol·ice. [Enclosing a copy of the Preamble and Resolutions passed by Councils.] B. Pkiladelphia, Sixth month 5th, 1838, To Jo/m S. ll'arner, Chairman of the Committee on Poliee: Esteemed Friend,-Thy letter without date, enclosing a Resolution of Councils dated the 31st ultimo, requesting the Police Committee to investigate and report the circumstances attending the destruction of the Pennsylvania Hall, was this day received and laid before our Board of Managers with all practicable speed. Thy letter mentions, said Committee will meet on the Gth instant, (tomorrow,) but does not state when or where; and adds, if we have any com~ munication to make in relation thereto we might address the same to thee. In answer to your unexpected and unsolicited invitation, I am instructed by the Managers to say, we are in possession of much information in relation to the matter alluded to, which we would be willing to communicate, if it be the request of Councils, or of the respectable Committee of which thou art Chairman: but as it would be of considerable length, the few hours allowed by you will be too short a period to prepare it. If, therefore, you wish to obtain the information, we must ask you to allow us a few days for that purpose, of which you will please to inform us. Believing the information we possess ougltt to be laid before tlte publ·ic, we are preparing a statement, containing as far as practicable all that was REPORT OF TJI1:: POLICE COMMITTEE. 191 said or done in our Hall during the brief period of its existence, and also the circumstances attending its destruction, in order that our fellow citizens may sec that we did not deserve the treatment we received from the mob, and that we did deserve that protection from the city authorities which we did not receive. Rcspectfu11y thine, &c., DANIEL NEALL, P1·esident <if Board of llfana.gers <if P. Hall. c. Copy of a letter from Joltn S. Warner, Chairman of the Committee on Police:* To Daniel Neall, Esq.: PHILADELPHIA, June 7th, 1838. Dear Sir,-Your Jetter of the 5th instant, in reply to mine of the 4th instant, was duly received yesterday morning the 6th instant, and was laid before the Committee last evening; by whom I am instructed to communicate the following Uesolution. "ll.esolved, That when this Committee adjm1rns, we adjourn to meet in the Chamber of the Select Council, at 8 o'clock on Friday evening next, 8th instant, and that the Managers of the Pennsylvania Hall be notified that tltey may attend in person or by attorney, to make such charges or allegations as they may think fit." I have the honor to be, yours, &c., (Signed,) JOHN S. WARNER, Chairman of the Committee on Police. D. PmLADELPHIA, Sixth month 7th, 1838. [Fifth Day Noon.] To John S. ll'arn~, Chah·mon of the Committee on Police: Thine of to-day is received, enclosing a Resolution of the Police Com~ mittee, informing us that we may attend in per~ou or by attorney~ to-morrow evening, "to make such charges or allegattons as we may thmk proper." Our President is out of town, and of course we cannot get the Board of Managers together in time for them to make a reply to thy pres~nt comn~u· nication; the time now allowed us is no longer than that wh~cl~, ~ve Illformed thee, would be too short to prepare a statement of the tnjunes we l1ave received. From the Resolution of Councils, it appeared to us as though they were anxious to obtain information in relation to the wanton destruction of our property, and we felt willing to aid in any im~artial investigation whic~ they might wish to make; but from thy last letter It would s~em. as though tt was desired we should assume the attitude of accusers, which IS a character the . Managers have no desire to appear in. If the Mayor has not done his duty, it does not lay wit~ us to ~m~e~ch him. And however injured we may have been, we entertam no vtndJcllve feelings towards those who committed, or those who neglected. to prevent or to suppress the riot ;-we shall leave to other men, and to a h1gher power than man, the mode and measure of redress. As we informed thee in our letter of the 5th instant, we shall at our ear· liest convenience make a full, fair, and public statement of that disgraceful outrage upon the constitutional right of the people, peaceably to assefnhle " See a ll·ne copy of this letter· on rmge 177. |