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Life of Thomas Eddy

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them a spirit of independence, economy, and industry.Immediately on receiving from thee an account ofthe 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 anumber of our most respectable citizens agreed toundertake the management of it; but we found thatwe could not go into operation without an act of incorporation, for which we made an application tothe 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. Ourmutual friend, John Grieg, Esq., has with him a mapand profile of the track of the canal, the inspectionof which will be interesting to thee. We have now, in this city, twenty-seven Sunday schools, at which 5000 scholars are instructed. Ilately 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 muchwith the prospect of being soon able to read theBible. Our legislature passed a law about two weeks ago,declaring that every person now held in slavery, shallbe 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, andare established in almost every part of the United States. I have lately lost thy excellent and very valuablework on Indigence, published in 1806, and shall es-teem it as a particular favour, if thou wilt be pleasedto send me another copy. The asylum for lunatics, mentioned in my letterof 4th May, is intended to be commenced building