done at a cheaper rate by contract; these require expensive superintendence; and workmen, as a general rule, cannot be expected to do as much for public institutions as for a private individual. Besides this, much time must be lost in the interval of the publication of the different articles, and when it is necessary, on account of the exhaustion of the appropriation, to stop for the year, this can only be done by disbanding the workmen, while the interest on the cost of the apparatus remains. แ "These remarks also apply to calculations and reductions of observations, which, in many cases, can be distributed to professors in colleges, who, for a small addition to their salaries, will furnish results which could not be procured in the Institution for many times the same sum. "The maxim stated in the programme, namely, that few individuals ought to be permanently supported by the Institution, should be constantly kept in view, and the greatest caution exercised in adding new members to the permanent corps. "The Institution, in order to produce the greatest amount of useful effect with a given expenditure of income, must be a unit in plan and a unit in purpose. Each assistant must not merely have regard to the advancement of his own speciality, but the good of the whole, and though he may be assigned a specific duty, he should be ready and willing, at the call of the Secretary, to render service in any other. Without a system of government which will ensure this, not only the usefulness of the Institution will be greatly abridged, but its very existence jeoparded." The committee submit to the Board the following resolutions: Resolved, That the seventh resolution passed by the Board of Regents on the 26th of January, 1847, requiring an equal division of the income between the active operations and the museum and library, when the buildings are completed, be and it is hereby, repealed. Resolved, That hereafter the annual appropriations shall be apportioned specifically among the different objects and operations of the Institution, in such manner as may, in the judgment of the Regents, be necessary and proper for each, according to its intrinsic importance, and a compliance in good faith with the law. Respectfully submitted: JAMES A. PEARCE, Chairman. Mr. Mason offered the following resolution which was adopted: Resolved, That the report of the Special Committee just made, be laid on the table for further consideration, and that the papers referred to in the report be communicated to the Board for their examination and that said report, and such report of a minority of the Committee as may be made in the recess of the board, be printed. ; Ŏn motion of Mr. English, the Board then adjourned, to meet on Saturday, the 8th of July, at 10 o'clock a. m. 7 WASHINGTON, July 8, 1854. An adjourned meeting of the Board of Regents was held on Saturday, July 8, at 10 o'clock, a. m. Present: Messrs. Bache, Douglas, English, Hawley, Mason, Pearce, Rush, Stuart, Totten, Towers, and the Secretary. In the absence of the Chancellor, Mr. Hawley was called to the chair. John T. Towers, esquire, mayor elect of the city of Washington, appeared and took the seat in the Board vacated by Mr. Maury, late mayor. The Secretary laid before the Board the sixth volume of Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge. Mr. Mason, from the Select Committee on the resolutions of Messrs. Fitch and Meacham, offered the following resolution : "The Secretary of the Institution and of this Board is, by the seventh section of the act to establish the Smithsonian Institution,' required to discharge the duties of Librarian and Keeper of the Museum,' having, with the consent of the Board of Regents, power to employ assistants, the better to enable him to discharge those duties; for a better construction whereof, Be it resolved, That whilst power is reserved in the said section to the Board of Regents to remove both the Secretary and his assistants, in the opinion of the Board, power, nevertheless, remains with the Secretary to remove his said assistants." Mr. English moved to amend the resolution by inserting the words "with the consent of the Board of Regents," after the words "power, nevertheless, remains with the Secretary." Mr. Stuart moved that the consideration of Mr. Mason's resolution be postponed till the next meeting of the Board. On this question the yeas and nays were demanded. Those voting in the affirmative: YEAS.-Messrs. Douglas, English, Stuart, Towers-4. NAYS.-Messrs. Bache, Hawley, Mason, Pearce, Totten-5. The question was then taken on the amendment offered by Mr. Mr. Douglas moved a postponement of the subject for a week from next Friday. The yeas and nays were taken on this motion : YEAS.-Messrs. Douglas, English, Stuart, Towers-4. NAYS.-Messrs. Bache, Hawley, Mason, Pearce, Totten-5. The question was then taken on Mr. Mason's resolution; which was adopted. YEAS.-Messrs. Bache, Hawley, Mason, Pearce, Rush, Totten-6. NAYS. Messrs. Douglas, English, Stuart, Towers-4. Mr. Stuart moved to postpone the consideration of the resolutions appended to the report of the Select Committee on the resolutions of Messrs. Fitch and Meacham, till the next annual session. A division' was called for-ayes 3, noes 6. So the motion was lost. Mr Douglas moved to postpone the consideration for two weeks. A division was called for-ayes 4, noes 6. So the motion was lost. Mr. English moved that the Board adjourn. This motion was withdrawn to allow the Chairman of the Executive Committee, Mr. Pearce, to bring forward the appropriations for the year recommended by the committee, and reported to the Board, April 29, 1854. On motion, the appropriations, as reported by the Executive Committee, were adopted-ayes 7, noes 3. The Secretary stated to the Board that he had employed Mr. Lorin Blodget to reduce and discuss the meteorological observations collected by the Smithsonian Institution, and that some misunderstanding had arisen between this gentleman and himself as to the adjustment of his claims in reference to the work, which he proposed to refer to the Executive Committee, and if necessary to a Commission of Examination, one of whom might be appointed by the Secretary, another by Mr. Blodget, and a third by the two persons so appointed; whereupon, On motion of Mr. Mason, it was Resolved, That the Executive Committee be authorized to investigate and settle the business presented to the Board by the Secretary. Mr. English then renewed his motion to adjourn. Adopted-ayes 6, noes 4. The Board then adjourned sine die. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ESTABLISHMENT. WASHINGTON, May 3, 1853. A meeting of the Smithsonian Institution, called by order of the President of the United States, was held this day, May 3, 1853, in the session hall of the Smithsonian building, at 11 o'clock, a. m. Present: Franklin Pierce, President of the United States, ex officio President of the Smithsonian Institution; James Guthrie, Secretary of the Treasury; James C. Dobbin, Secretary of the Navy; James Campbell, Postmaster General; Caleb Cushing, Attorney General; John W. Maury, Mayor of Washington; Joseph Henry, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. The Secretary gave an account of the operations of the Institution. Less than half of the number of members being present, the meeting adjourned to meet on Tuesday, the 17th inst. WASHINGTON, May 17, 1853. An adjourned meeting of the Smithsonian Institution was held this day in the session hall of the Smithsonian building. Present: Franklin Pierce, President of the United States; William L. Marcy, Secretary of State; James Guthrie, Secretary of the Treasury; Jefferson Davis, Secretary of War; James C. Dobbin, Secretary of the Navy; James Campbell, Postmaster General; Caleb Cushing, Attorney General; Charles Mason, Commissioner of Patents; John W. Maury, Mayor of Washington; Joseph Henry, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. The President took the chair, and the minutes of the preceding meeting were read. On motion, the President appointed a committee of five to draft a code of By-laws. The committee consisted of the following persons, to wit: Messrs Cushing, Dobbin, Maury, Davis, and the Secretary. The committee, after due deliberation, reported through their chairman, Mr. Cushing, the following: BY-LAWS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. SECTION 1. A stated annual meeting of the statute and honorary members of the Institution shall be held at the Hall of the Institution, in Washington, on the first Tuesday in May. Adjourned meetings may be held at such place and time as the members of the Institution at any meeting may order. Special meetings will be convened by direction of the President of the United States. SEC. 2. Notice of all meetings of the Institution, whether stated, adjourned, or special, shall be given by the Secretary in writing, addressed to each member. SEC. 3. The votes and proceedings of the Institution, with the names of the members present at each meeting, shall be recorded; and at the opening of every meeting the journal of the preceding meeting shall be read by the Secretary. SEC. 4. A quorum of not less than six of the statute members shall be requisite for the transaction of any business except adjourning or obtaining the attendance of members. SEC. 5 The Secretary shall at the stated annual meeting, make a general statement of the condition and affairs of the Institution during the past year. SEC. 6. Honorary members, not exceeding one in each year, shall be elected by ballot, and by unanimous vote of the statute members: Provided, That no person shall be chosen without having been nominated at a previous meeting of the Institution. SEC. 7. The rules of parliamentary proceedings, as received and practised in the Senate of the United States, shall govern the meetings of the Institution in all cases which are not inconsistent with the fore going By-laws. On motion, the report of the committee was adopted. The Secretary presented an account of the organization and operations of the Institution, relative to the reception and publication of memoirs, researches, exchanges, the formation of catalogues of libraries; also an account of the state of the funds, and the policy with regard to the formation of collections, &c. On motion of Mr. Davis, nominations were then received for the appointment, of an honorary member of the Institution, to take place at a succeeding meeting. On motion, the Institution adjourned to the first Monday in June ensuing, at 11 o'clock, a. m. WASHINGTON, June 6, 1853. An adjourned meeting of the Smithsonian Institution was held this day, June 6, 1853, in the session hall of the Smithsonian building. Present: Franklin Pierce, President of the United States, ex-officio President of the Smithsonian Institution; James Guthrie, Secretary of the Treasury; William L. Marcy, Secretary of State; Jefferson Davis, Secretary of War; James Campbell, Postmaster General; Caleb Cushing, Attorney General; Charles Mason, Commissioner of Patents; Joseph Henry, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. The President took the chair, and the minutes of the preceding meeting were read. On motion, the Institution proceeded to ballot for the election of an honorary member. Professor Parker Cleaveland was declared unanimously elected. The advertisement of the Leopoldin Caroline Academy of Germany, relative to the Smithsonian Institution, was read by the Secretary. The Institution then adjourned sine die. |