To James Madison from B. B. Hopkins, 3 August 1813
From B. B. Hopkins
Philadelphia August 3rd. 1813
Sir,
It is with pleasure I perform the duty my situation injoins, of communicating to your Excellency the following resolution of the Managers of the Philadelphia Bible Society.
“Resolved. That the compliment of a copy of the Scriptures from the Stereotype plates on a superiour paper & splendidly bound be made to the President of the United States & to each house of Congress for their respective Libraries.”
This resolution was passed in consequence of the favour conferred on the Society by the remission of the duties on the plates by Congress & its becoming a Law in consequence of your signature.1 The books accompany this letter. Those for each House you will be good enough to have delivered to the proper persons. Very respectfully your Obt. Sert.
B. B. Hopkins Recording Secty
& Librarian of the Phila. Bib. Soc⟨y⟩
RC (DLC).
1. Hopkins referred to “An Act for the relief of the Bible Society of Philadelphia,” 2 Feb. 1813, which cancelled “the duties arising and due to the United States upon certain stereotype plates, imported during the last year into the port of Philadelphia … by the Bible Society of Philadelphia, for the purpose of printing editions of the Holy Bible.” Michael Leib introduced the Bible Society’s memorial on the subject in the Senate on 14 Jan., and the resulting bill was passed on 18 Jan. The House of Representatives concurred on 29 Jan. (, 6:116; , 12th Cong., 2d sess., 51, 54, 847, 848, 852, 928–29).