In 1829 a futile attempt was made to put a stop to the delivery of Sunday mails, one result of which was the holding of a number of public meetings in Salem, the reports of which we take from the papers.
Meetings were also held in Boston and New York.
PUBLIC MEETING.
At a very numerous and respectable meeting of the citizens of Salem, "opposed to Legislative interference in respect to the religious observances of Sunday," held at the Town Hall, Dec. 27, 1828, Perley Putnam, Esq., was called to the chair, and Dr. Benjamin Kittredge, appointed Secretary.—The object of the meeting having been stated by the Chairman, it was
Voted, That Messrs. George Cleveland, Leverett Saltonstall, Stephen C. Phillips, John W. Treadwell, Perley Putnam, Nath'l West, jun., Franklin H. Story, John Crowninshield, Jos. G. Waters, Charles A. Andrew, David Pingree, and David A. Neal, be a committee[2] to consider and report at an adjournment of the meeting, what measures it is expedient to take for the purpose of carrying into effect the objects of the meeting.
The meeting was then adjourned for one week.
[2] The committee appointed consisted of Episcopalians, Unitarians, and Universalists.
At the adjourned meeting on Saturday evening Jan. 3, 1829, the Committee reported the following Resolutions, which were unanimously adopted:—