Prof. Mather, I believe, through Prof. Emmons, first suggested to
the New-York Board of Geologists in November, 1838, in a letter
proposing a number of points for their consideration. I quote
from him the following paragraph relating to the meeting. As to
the credit he has here given me of having personally suggested
the subject, I can say only that I had been in the habit for
several years of making this meeting of scientific men a sort
of hobby in my correspondence with such. Whether others did the
same, I did not then, and do not now know. Were this the proper
place, I could go more into detail on this point; but I will
merely quote Prof. Mather's language to the Board:--

* * * * "Would it not be well to suggest the propriety of a
meeting of Geologists and other scientific men of our country at
some central point next fall,--say at New-York or Philadelphia?
There are many questions in our Geology that will receive new
light from friendly discussion and the combined observations of
various individuals who have noted them in different parts of our
country. Such a meeting has been suggested by Prof. Hitchcock;
and to me it seems desirable. It would undoubtedly be an
advantage not only to science but to the several surveys that are
now in progress and that may in future be authorized. It would
tend to make known our scientific men to each other personally,
give them more confidence in each other, and cause them to
concentrate their observation on those questions that are of
interest in either a scientific or economical point of view. More
questions may be satisfactorily settled in a day by oral
discussion in such a body, than a year by writing and
publication."[A]