Friendly letter; encloses an account [not present] of lands remaining
unsold in New Jersey that belong to the recipient's relatives, points out
the "seeming paradox" that the lands decrease in value because they are
"chiefly Pine Barrens or refuse pieces of the worst Mountains," remarks
that "People in the Neighborhood of them, unrestrained, seem by habit
of Stealing to have acquired a right to the wood & Range of Mr. Penn's
Lands," and offers to purchase the land.
In presenting this document, I beg to call the attention of the Society to the strong contrast, which will appear on a comparison, between the aspect of the country traversed by this due north line as there developed, and that exhibited by the profile of Colonel Bouchette, the British surveyor under the 5th article of the Treaty of Ghent, derived from his surveys of that line and his barometric measurements upon it in the years 1817 & '18.The direction of the meridian line whose profile or vertical section is now offered to the notice of the Society, was obtained from numerous astronomical observations, fully verified, with a transit instrument having a telescope of 43 inches focal length. It will be perceived on reference thereto that the meridian, thus traced, does not meet with any highland or elevation whatever in passing Mars Hill, but on the contrary that it passes the base of that eminence considerably to the eastward, and at a depression nowhere less that 12 feet below the level of the base of the monument which was erected to mark the source of the River St. Croix. . . . It may be well to remark that the base of this monument is surrounded (unless at seasons of extreme drought) by the water constituting the extreme source of that river [Archives. J. D. Graham to APS, 28 March 1844. Minutes. Proc , vol. 4, p. 53. Donation Book].Librarian George Ord was notified 22 June 1844 that W. R. Palmer had received these maps for the Society [Archives. W. R. Palmer to G. Ord, 22 June 1844].See: U.S. Congress, 27th, 3rd session. House of Representatives.
Congratulates him on the success of his "patriotic labors" in the Netherlands and on his success in opening a loan; encloses resolutions and copies of letters [not present] that convey the views of Congress and his own views.; "Triplicate"; American Philosophical Society
Anthony Todd writes to Benjamin Franklin about the arrangements being made to continue the packet boats between France, England, and America.; American Philosophical Society
Anthony Todd writes about the death of his nephew, George Maddison, to Benjamin Franklin. He expresses his personal sorrow, but also writes about the public loss due to Maddison's importance to the communication about the arrangements being made with the French post office. Todd requests that Franklin continue to keep him informed about the negotiations. The second half of the letter are some of Todd's ideas about the movement of mail between the United States and France as well as Britain and Ireland.; American Philosophical Society
