them a spirit of independence, economy, and industry.
Immediately on receiving from thee an account of
the provident institution in your metropolis, I pro-
posed to a number of my friends to establish a simi-
lar one in this city. A plan was formed, and a
number of our most respectable citizens agreed to
undertake the management of it; but we found that
we could not go into operation without an act of
incorporation, for which we made an application to
the legislature, and the result is not yet known.

An act is now before our legislature, for comple-
ting a canal from Lake Erie to the Hudson. Our
mutual friend, John Grieg

, Esq., has with him a map
and profile of the track of the canal, the inspection
of which will be interesting to thee.

We have now, in this city, twenty-seven Sunday
schools, at which 5000 scholars are instructed. I
lately visited two of them, kept for black people,
adults; at one of them, I noticed two black women,
one of them seventy, and the other ninety years old.
They both seemed to please themselves very much
with the prospect of being soon able to read the
Bible.

Our legislature passed a law about two weeks ago,
declaring that every person now held in slavery, shall
be free after 4th July, 1827. In the eastern States,
and in the State of Ohio

, slavery is prohibited.

Free schools and Sunday schools are spread, and
are increasing throughout our State, and our govern-
ment have made very liberal provision for their sup-
port ; and Bible Societies receive great patronage, and
are established in almost every part of the United
States.

I have lately lost thy excellent and very valuable
work on Indigence, published in 1806, and shall es-
teem it as a particular favour, if thou wilt be pleased
to send me another copy.

The asylum for lunatics, mentioned in my letter
of 4th May, is intended to be commenced building