National Republican., 1874-05-09
INDEPENDENCE RALL.
RESTORING THE REVoLUTIoNAR
PROPERTIES

RESTORING THE REVOLUTIONARY
PROPERTIES.
The committee appointed to effect the res
torst:on Of Independence Hall at Philadelphia
has made report of the work done during tne
past year. The committee made preliminary
report June Z, 1873. At that date the CHAM
Der in which the Declaration Of Independents
was signed had been disincumbered ot It's
anschronisms, and such portraits only had
been retained or procured by the committee as
worc illustrative of its national memories OF
INA. To these some portraits of the signers OF
the Declaration have been added since, and
faU more are daily expected. Among the ad-
,oit,ops is q contribution UPON the part Of the
State Of Mar jland, of the only two por-
from that State.
"The committee" says the report, twas
forced into an unlooked-for expense by the dis
covery of the fact that the thirteen portraits
of the signers purchased by the city in 1884,
as well as some Others (among them Inman's
painting of William PENN had been some years
ago treated to copal varnish, which, we were In
formed by experts, would entirely destroy
them, If not removed. This has been done
end the coloring beautifully brought out." ="
Since last June two of the original chairs OF
the Chamber have been deposited by their
owners, and another has been returned from
The United States Supreme Court rooms, where,
probably, it had been taken when the seat Of
government was removed, in 1900, from Phila-
delphia to Washington. The committee now
has ten chairs, and has some hopes Of increas-
ing the number to thirteen.
/ The western room has been thoroughly reno
waited, and the decayed floor replaced by tile
pavement similar in style to that laid some
years since in Independence Chamber. The
committee propose to adapt 1t for national
museum. The report says: ''The chamber
itself was formerly the Judicial Hall OF the
colony of Pennsylvania, where Justices Logan,
Allen, Chew and Mexican gave dignity and
weight to the Supreme Bench. This room we
therefore dedicate to the memories Of these
men, and to illustrate the history of our State
from its foundation down to the epoch of the
adoption of the Constitution of the United
States, when 1t merged into the United States
. of America Mr.. Joseph Harrison's public
spirit has essentially enabled US to present g
. synopsis of this part of our plan by deposit
e of the celebrated painting by West of the great
treaty, never sworn to and never broken
Over this picture it is our wish to place por-
trait of Charles H., (whose royal grant to Penn
enabled the latter to set an example Of peace
on earth and good will towards men, and nexi
in order chronologically as our ruler of the
time-whatever faults may be ascribed to him
always the true friend of Penn-Jsmes II.
"After him we have the portraits, in chrono.
= logical order (thanks again to Mr.. Joseph Har
3 rison,) of King William, Queens Mary and
Anne, and Kings George 1, II, and III, with
whom terminated the royal authority in thi:
. country, and whose portraits are, in oul
opinion at least, indispensable to the illustra-
ton and understanding of our local history and
. government" The charter Of incorporation
8 of Philadelphia, with the original signature Of
the founder, and with the great seal Of Penn
. sylvsnIa appended is displayed between the
IkOaess of the grantor and the commemora.
tive painting of the treaty which made 1t forci
BILE. "The celebrated not-importation reso
Iutions of October 25, 1885," says the commit
tee, "signed by S72 of our merchants and
traders (fac Eimile,) constitutes an appro-
pirate pendant in juxta position with the por-
trait of the sovereign whose authority over
Pennsylvania and her sister coloniec, 1t was
destined to form the entering wedge to sever"
The design of the committee involves plsc-
ing in this chamber, also, the portraits Of the
trainers of the Constitution of the United
States, some of whose Hkenesses have already
been secured and others promised. 1t is hoped
that Rossiter's historical painting, ''The Sign
ing of the Constitution" may also be secured.
Cases filled with relics and memorials Of dis
tlnguished men of the period from 1859 to
1877, and with pamphlets, wearing apparel,
newspapers, and everything illustrative of the
daily life in America during the same period,
have been prepared, while appropriate plat
forms arc reserved to display furniture once In
use by the patriots Of that day. Tbs Sharp
less collection of portraits, consisting of 1874
heads, has been also secured, 1t is hoped per-
manently. These portraits were taken from
life by Sharpless between 179O and 1900, and
the collection includes Washington and Mrs.
Washington, John Adams, Langdon, Mrs.
Madison and many others of distinction.