probable that the planets of our system are composed of the same mineralogical materials.

The next communication was presented by Prof. JOSEPH HENRY, on the

ORGANIZATION OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.

Professor HENRY presented to the Association an account of the organization and progress of the Smithsonian Institution. He stated in the commencement of his remarks, that he hoped the communication he was about to make would not be considered irrelevant to the objects of the Association, since the plan which had been adopted for the organization of the Institution contemplated co-operation. with the Historical, Literary, and Scientific Societies of our country. JAMES SMITHSON, of England, left his property, upwards of $500,000, in trust to the United States of America, in his own words, "to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.”

The trust, it is well known, was accepted by our Government— the money was paid to an agent appointed to receive it, and by him. deposited in the United States Treasury, in British gold. The Government therefore became responsible for the faithful discharge of the obligation incurred, viz. that of carrying out the intentions of the donor. After a delay of eight years, an act of Congress was passed August 10, 1846, constituting the President, and the other principal Executive officers of the General Government, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Mayor of Washington, and such other persons as they might elect honorary members, an establishment under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men. The members and honorary members of this establishment are to hold stated and special meetings for the supervision of the affairs of the Institution, and for the advice and instruction of a Board of Regents, to whom the financial and other affairs are intrusted.

The Board of Regents consists of three members, ex-officio, to the establishment, namely, the Vice President of the United States, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the Mayor of Washington, together with twelve other members, three of whom are appointed by the Senate from its own body, three by the House of Representatives

from its members, and six citizens at large, appointed by a joint resolution of both Houses. To this Board is given the power of electing a Secretary and other officers, for conducting the active. operations of the Institution.

Much diversity of opinion existed as to the plan of organization. The act of Congress establishing the Institution, directed, as a part of the plan, the formation of a library, a museum, and a gallery of arts, together with provisions for physical research and popular lectures, leaving to the Regents the power of adopting such other parts of the organization as they might deem best suited for the promotion of the purposes of the testator.

After much deliberation the Regents resolved to divide the annual income, thirty thousand nine hundred and fifty dollars, into two equal parts: one part to be devoted to the increase and diffusion of knowledge by means of original research and publications; the other half of the income to be applied, in accordance with the requirements of the act of Congress, to the gradual formation of a library, a museum, and a gallery of art.

They were led to this distribution and the adoption of the annexed programme by the following considerations, principally deduced from the will of Smithson :

:

1. The bequest is for the benefit of mankind. The Government of the United States is merely a trustee to carry out the design of the testator.

2. The Institution is not a national establishment, as is frequently supposed, but the establishment of an individual, and is to bear and perpetuate his name.

3. The objects of the Institution are-first, to increase, and second, to diffuse knowledge among men.

4. These two objects should not be confounded with one another. The first is to increase the existing stock of knowledge by the addition of new truths; and the second to disseminate knowledge thus increased among men.

5. The will makes no restriction in favour of any particular kind of knowledge; hence all branches are entitled to a share of attention. 6. Knowledge can be increased by different methods of facilitating and promoting the discovery of new truths, and can be most efficiently diffused among men by means of the press.

7. To effect the greatest amount of good, the organization should be such as to enable the Institution to produce results in the way of

increasing and diffusing knowledge which cannot be produced by the existing institutions in our country.

8. The organization should also be such as can be adopted provisionally, can be easily reduced to practice, receive modifications, or be abandoned, in whole or in part, without a sacrifice of the funds.

9. In order to make up for the loss of time occasioned by the delay of eight years in establishing the Institution, a considerable portion of the interest which has accrued should be added to the principal. 10. In proportion to the wide field of knowledge to be cultivated the funds are small. Economy should therefore be consulted in the construction of the building; and not only the first cost of the edifice should be considered, but also the continual expense of keeping it in repair, and of the support of the establishment necessarily connected with it. There should also be but few individuals permanently supported by the Institution.

11. The plan and dimensions of the building should be determined by the plan of the organization, and not the converse.

12. It should be recollected that mankind in general are to be benefited by the bequest, and that, therefore, all unnecessary expenditure on local objects would be a perversion of the trust.

13. Besides the foregoing considerations, deduced immediately from the will of Smithson, regard must be had to certain requirements of the act of Congress establishing the Institution: namely, a library, a museum, and a gallery of art, with a building on a liberal scale to contain them.

The following are the details of the two parts of the general plan of organization provisionally adopted at the meeting of the Regents, December 8th, 1847, and is now in the process of being carried into execution:

DETAILS OF THE FIRST PART OF THE PLAN.

I. To increase Knowledge, it is proposed to stimulate research by offering rewards, consisting of money, medals, etc., for original memoirs on all subjects of investigation.

1. The memoirs thus obtained to be published in a series of volumes, in a quarto form, and entitled Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge.

2. No memoir, on subjects of physical science, to be accepted for publication, which does not furnish a positive addition to human knowledge, resting on original research; and all unverified speculations to be rejected.

3. Each memoir presented to the Institution, to be submitted for examination to a commission of persons of reputation for learning in the branch to which the memoir pertains; and to be accepted for publication only in case the report of this commission is favourable.

4. The commission to be chosen by the officers of the Institution, and the name of the author, as far as practicable, conceded, unless a favourable decision be made.

5. The volumes of the Memoirs to be exchanged for the transactions of literary and scientific societies, and copies to be given to all the colleges and principal libraries in this country. One part of the remaining copies may be offered for sale, and the other carefully preserved, to form complete sets of the work, to supply the demand from new institutions.

6. An abstract, or popular account of the contents of these Memoirs to be given to the public through the Annual Report of the Regents to Congress.

II. To increase Knowledge, it is also proposed to appropriate a portion of the income, annually, to special objects of research under the direction of suitable persons.

1. The objects and the amount appropriated to be recommended by counsellors of the Institution.

2. Appropriations in different years to be made to different objects, so that, in course of time, each branch of knowledge may receive a share.

3. The results obtained from these appropriations to be published, with the Memoirs before mentioned, in the volumes of the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge.

4. Examples of objects for which appropriations may be made : (1.) System of extending meteorological observations for solving the problem of American storms.

(2.) Explorations in descriptive natural history, and geological, magnetical, and topographical surveys, to collect materials for the formation of a Physical Atlas of the United States.

(3.) Solution of experimental problems, such as a new determination of the weight of the earth, of the velocity of electricity, and of light; chemical analyses of soils and plants; collection and publication of articles of science, accumulated in the offices of government. (4.) Institution of statistical inquiries with reference to physical, moral, and political subjects.

(5.) Historical researches and accurate surveys of places celebrated in American history.

(6.) Ethnological researches, particularly with reference to the different races of men in North America; also, explorations and accurate surveys of the mounds and other remains of the ancient people of our country.

I. To diffuse Knowledge, it is proposed to publish a Series of Reports, giving an account of the new discoveries in science, and of the changes made from year to year in all branches of Knowlledge not strictly professional.

1. Some of these reports may be published annually, others at longer intervals, as the income of the Institution or the changes in the branches of knowledge may indicate.

2. The reports are to be prepared by collaborators eminent in the different branches of knowledge.

3. Each collaborator to be furnished with the journals and publications, domestic and foreign, necessary to the compilation of his report; to be paid a certain sum for his labours, and to be named on the title page of the report.

4. The reports to be published in separate parts, so that persons interested in a particular branch, can procure the parts relating to it without purchasing the whole.

5. These reports may be presented to Congress for partial distribution, the remaining copies to be given to literary and scientific institutions, and sold to individuals for a moderate price.

The following are some of the subjects which may be embraced in the reports.

I. PHYSICAL CLASS.

1. Physics, including astronomy, natural philosophy, chemistry, and meteorology.

2. Natural history, including botany, zoology, geology, &c.

3. Agriculture.

4. Application of science to arts.

II. MORAL AND POLITICAL CLASS.

5. Ethnology, including particular history, comparative philology, antiquities, &c.

6. Statistics and political economy.