Colonel Kinney, Robert L. Armstrong, Joseph W. Scott, Captain William Tuttle, Captain Cyrus Dehart, Robert H. Cumming, George C. Thomas.
Colonel A. Ogden, Colonel J. W. Scott, R. L. Armstrong.
William Whitlock, the eldest son of Col. Ephraim Whitlock, deceased, having made application in right of his father to be admitted to membership, and he being of full age and judged worthy, he was admitted.
William Pennington, son of the late William S. Pennington, a deceased member having made application to be admitted as a member of the Society in right of his father, and it appearing that the said applicant is the eldest surviving son of his father, but that the late W. S. Pennington, had another son, named James, elder than the applicant, which said James died in the lifetime of his father, leaving a minor son named Adolphus, now living, aged thirteen years. The Committee feel constrained by the high sense they entertain of the distinguished worth of the applicant, to refer the above application to the consideration of the Society, while at the same time they cannot refrain from the expression of their opinion, that by the rules of the Society the applicant cannot now be admitted as a member.
The Society having taken up the report of the Standing Committee, which relates to William Pennington, Esq., it was resolved, that by the rules of this Society, the applicant cannot now be admitted a member.
The Standing Committee report that they have examined the accounts of the Treasurer and find the permanent funds of the Society to consist of the sum of $10,000 in six per cent, stock of the United States. The Treasurer General Elmer, has received $1,100 (Davidson & Haile of Philadelphia having retained $100 for the premium of exchange of stock in 1825), and that the Treasurer General Elmer has paid out of the said sum for traveling expenses of members at the meeting at Trenton, 1826, the sum of $172.40; for expenses of Society at meeting, $143.75; sundry incidental expenses at meeting $11.54; donations to the widows, being six widows at $40 each, $240 ; Garret D. Wall on the order of the President of the Society, $50; Robert L. Armstrong, on the order of the President, $50, which said sums amounting to $667.69 deducted from the said sum of $1,100 received, leaves a balance in the hands of the Treasurer of $432.31.
The Committee in calling the attention of the Society to the fact, hope to prevent its future occurrence, that at the last meeting at Trenton, application was made to the Treasurer by several persons not residents of the State, for traveling expenses, and in the hurry of departure their expenses were paid by him, this was contrary to the regulations of the Society, and such accounts will never hereafter be passed by this Committee.
The Standing Committee recommend that the following sums be appropriated for charitable purposes to Mrs. Hendry, widow of Capt. Saml. Hendry; Mrs. Seely, widow of the late Samuel Seely; Mrs. Brooks, widow of the late Major Almarine Brooks; the two daughters of Col. Whitlock, Mrs. Telfair and Elizabeth Whitlock; and Mrs. Armstrong, widow of the late Dr. Armstrong, $25 each. Recommendations adopted.
The President announced the death of the Hon. William S. Pennington, a member of this Society.
Resolved, that in memory of our deceased brother, this Society will wear mourning by a crape on the left arm for the space of thirty days.
The Society, together with the Citizens, walked in procession to the First Presbyterian Church, when, after prayer by the Revd. Dr. McDowell, and the reading of the Declaration of Independence by the Revd. P. C. Hay, an oration was delivered by Col. Joseph W. Scott, who had been previously appointed by the Society.
The exercises of the church being ended, the Society returned in the same order of procession to the place of meeting and proceeded to business.
Resolved, that the thanks of this Society be presented to Col. J. W. Scott for his eloquent and very appropriate oration and that he be requested to deliver a copy to the Secretary that it may be placed among the archives.
The Standing Committee beg leave to suggest to the Society the propriety of altering the First Section of the Bye-Laws by striking out of the said Section, the word “Elizabeth Town,” and inserting in place thereof “Newark or New Brunswick.”
The Society ordered, that the consideration thereof be postponed to the next annual meeting.
* Resolved, that any original member of this State Society or any person admitted in the place of an original member, resident out of this State, be entitled to a seat as member of this Society in all respects, excepting as is excepted in the report of the Standing Committee of this day.
The Committee appointed to bring up the record of the Book of Bye-Laws and Rules of this State Society, etc., made report in writing which, being read, was approved and ordered to be filed.
Mr. Joseph Elias Bloomfield presented a copy of the Book of Bye-Laws and Rules of this Society, which had been kept by his uncle, General Bloomfield, whilst President of the Society, and in which he had noted the deaths, removals, and admissions of members to the time of his death.
Resolved, that the thanks of this Society be presented to Mr. Joseph E. Bloomfield for his very valuable present, and that it be safely kept by the Secretary among the archives of this Society.
The Committee appointed to attend the General Society of the Cincinnati at Philadelphia on November 1, 1825, made report, accompanied by a certified copy of the proceedings of the delegates from the several State Societies of the Cincinnati convened in General Society of November 1, 1825, which was approved and the said proceedings ordered to be filed.
Resolved, that this Society do agree to the alteration thereby recommended in the Constitution of the General Society, which alteration is as follows :
1st. That whenever a vacancy shall happen in regard to any of the officers of the General Society, it shall be the duty of the Secretary-General or (in case it should have happened as to him) of the Assistant Secretary-General, to give notice accordingly to the president of each State Society, whose duty it shall be at their next Anniversary Meeting to ballot for some suitable person to supply such vacancy whose name shall be transmitted to such Secretary or Assistant Secretary-General as the case may be, who shall thereupon count up the votes, and the person who shall have a plurality of votes, shall succeed to such vacancy, and in case of an equality of votes, the one of them who may be senior in age, shall be the successor.
2d. It shall be the duty of the officers of the General Society to meet at the City of Philadelphia on the 1st Monday in May, at least once in every three years, according to their own appointment or a notice from the President-General, and they or as many as shall convene, shall be a board, under such rules as they may prescribe, to transact such business as might be transacted at a meeting of the General Society, and to call such General Meetings as often as the exigencies of the Society may seem to require.
(Amendments to Constitution, General Society.)
Col. Ogden, from the Committee on the claims of the surviving officers of the Revolution, made a communication to the Society thereon, which was approved and ordered to be filed.
Resolved, that diplomas be issued to the following persons in right of their respective Fathers, viz:
Joseph W. Scott, Esqr., Robt. L. Armstrong, Esqr., Major John J. Plume, in the right of his uncle, Dr. Garret Van Wagenen, and to William Shute.
Ordered, that the Standing Committee meet to transact the business of the Society, on the evening previous to its anniversary meeting.
* This relates to post paying mileage out of the State. W. T. B. S. Imlay, Secretary.