Wednesday 16th. No more than two States being yet represented, agreed till a quoram of them should be formed to alter the hour of Meeting at the State house to One oclock.
Dined at the President Doctr. Franklins and drank Tea, and spent the evening at Mr. Jno. Penns.
Benjamin Franklin later commented on this dinner: “We have here at present what the French call une assemblée des notables a convention composed of some of the principal people from the several States of our confederation. They did me the honor of dining with me last Wednesday” (Franklin to Thomas Jordan, 18 May 1787, , 3:21). Franklin’s dining room seated 24 comfortably, which was about the number of delegates in the city by this date.
John Penn (1729–1795) of Lansdowne, a grandson of William Penn, was the last proprietary lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania. After 1776 he lived in political retirement, dividing his time between his country estate, Lansdowne, and his town house in Philadelphia.