Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/213

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We have seen that Mr. Smith was chosen Provost and Mr. Alison Vice-Provost in March, 1755, in advance of the passage of the new charter, in order to secure the names of the incumbents of these two offices being inserted in the draft of the charter. This new charter, as stated in a previous page, was based upon a suggestion to the Trustees in December, 1754, submitted by Mr. Alison and Mr. Smith, looking to securing the needed power of conferring degrees, which was not accorded in the charter of 1753. These gentlemen, under instructions to draw up a clause to be added to the charter for that purpose, appeared at the January meeting and " laid before the Trustees the Draught of a Charter" drawn up by Mr. Smith, for the Purposes mentioned in the Minute of 10 December last, which being long and containing several matters of Importance, Mr Francis Mr Peters Mr White and William Coleman are appointed a Committee to examine the same, and are desir'd to report thereon at the next meeting, [on ii February] Mr Peters reported that the Committee appointed to examine the Draught of a Charter laid before the Trustees at their last meeting, after maturely considering the said Draught, had made a new one, varying from the former in several Particulars, and the said new Draught being produced by Mr Francis, was read, and considered Paragraph by Paragraph, and after a small Alteration was approved of and ordered to be engrossed. [On 7 March] the Trustees being now informed that the Governor agreeable to the Prayer of their Petition to him, was ready to grant them a Charter on the Terms of the above mentioned Draught, resolved to wait on him immediately in order to receive the same at his Hands. These were Messrs. Hamilton, Franklin, Inglis, Stedman, M'Call, Allen, White, Plumsted, Turner, Cadwalader, Strettell, Maddox, Peters, Phin. Bond, Francis, Tho. Bond, Leech, Masters, Syng and Coleman. But a clause in the charter excited some misapprehension as to its scope, which perhaps was only detected upon the due application of its terms; and at the meeting of 13 May, the only Minute recorded bears on the question: The new Charter lately granted to the Trustees being produced and read, some Objection was made to a clause therein, as tending to confirm