History of the Reed family in Europe and America

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claration of Independence, and a framer of the Constitution
of the United States, was an uncle of Mrs. Read's.
In 1797, Mr. Read was appointed Agent-General of the
United States to act on their behalf in relation to such claims
as might be made against the United States before the com-
missioners appointed to carry into effect the sixth article of
Jay's treaty. Some of his labors are to be found in a book,
published in Philadelphia, called " Arguments on British
Debts," which contains some able papers written by Mr.
Read.
Mr. Read was also for some years a member of the City
Council ; and, in 1815, was elected to the House of Repre-
sentatives of Pennsylvania, and was appointed Chairman of
the important Committee on Roads and Inland Navigation,
composed, at that day, of thirty-four members. In 1816,
he was re-elected, and, while presiding over the deliberations
of this committee, took a severe cold, which produced an
illness which brought hini to the brink of the grave. Mrs.
Read, who went to Harrisburg to tend her husband, fell a
sacrifice to her devotion to him.
Having recovered from the immediate effects of his illness,
Mr. Read was elected to the Senate to fill the vacancy oc-
casioned by the resignation of Nicholas Biddle, Esq. ; and,
whilst a member of that body, was elected by them, in 1818,
a director on the part of the State of the Philadelphia Bank.
In 1817, on the revival of the office, he was appointed City
Solicitor by the Mayor, Gen. Robert Wharton. In 1819, he
was elected President of the Philadelphia Bank, and ably
and faithfully filled this office until his resignation in 1811.
A few months afterwards, he removed to the city of Trenton ;
where, amidst the friends and connections of his wife, he
spent his remaining days, surrounded by his books, which
formed a never-failing soxirce of pleasure and information.
He died on the 13th of July, 1854, at the very advanced age
of eighty-five, leaving a large estate.