By the law incorporating this Institution, "all objects of art and of foreign and curious research, and all objects of natural history, plants, and geological and mineralogical specimens belonging to or hereafter to belong to the United States, which may be in the city of Washington, in whosesoever custody the same may be, shall be delivered to such persons as may be authorized by the Board of Regents to receive them."

This law evidently gives to the Smithsonian Institution the museum in the Patent Office, the conservatory of plants, and all specimens of nature and art to be found in the several offices and departments of the government. The act, however, cannot be construed as rendering it obligatory on the Regents to take charge of these articles, if, in their opinion, it is not for the best interests of the Institution that they should do so. Though one of the reasons urged upon the Regents for the immediate erection of so large a building was the necessity of providing accommodation for this museum, I have been, from the first, of the opinion that it is inexpedient to accept it.

This museum was collected at the expense of the government, and should be preserved as a memento of the science and energy of our navy, and as a means of illustrating and verifying the magnificent volumes which comprise the history of that expedition. If the Regents accept this museum, it must be merged in the Smithsonian collections. It could not be the intention of Congress that an Institution founded by the liberality of a foreigner, and to which he has affixed his own name, should be charged with the keeping of a separate museum, the property of the United States. Besides this, the extensive museum of the Patent Office would immediately fill the space allotted for collections of this kind in the Smithsonian edifice, and in a short time another appropriation would be required for the erection of another building. Moreover, all the objects of interest of this collection have been described and figured in the volumes of the expedition, and the small portion of our funds which can be devoted to a museum may be better employed in collecting new objects, such as have not yet been studied, than in preserving those from which the harvest of discovery has already been fully gathered.

The answer made to some of these objections has usually been, that the government would grant an annual appropriation for the support of the museum of the Exploring Expedition. But this would be equally objectionable; since it would annually bring the Institution before Congress as a supplicant for government patronage, and ultimately subject it to political influence and control.

After an experience of three years, I am fully convinced that the true policy of the Institution is to ask nothing from Congress except the safekeeping of its funds, to mingle its operations as little as possible with those of the general government, and to adhere in all cases to its own distinct organization, while it co-operates with other institutions in the way of promoting knowledge; and on the other hand, that it is desirable that Congress should place as few restrictions on the Institution as possible, consistent with a judicious expenditure of the income, and that this be judged of by a proper estimate of the results produced.

Lectures.

The

At the last meeting of the board an appropriation of five hundred dollars was made to defray the expense of lectures to be given before the Smithsonian Institution, a part of which only is expended. first course, in accordance with this part of the plan of organization, was by Professor Koeppen, of Denmark, on Modern Athens. These lectures were illustrated by a number of large drawings, for the use of which the Institution is indebted to the Lowell Institute, of Boston. A second course was delivered by Dr. Hitchcock, President of Amherst College, on geology, in the lecture-room of the east wing of the Smithsonian building; and both courses were attended by large and apparently interested audiences. The results of these lectures indicate that much good may be effected in Washington by this means of communicating knowledge. No city, perhaps, of the same number of inhabitants, contains so many intelligent and well educated persons desirous of obtaining information; and no point in our country is so favorably situated for the dissemination of opinions, by means of lectures, as the political centre of the American Union. Invitations have been given to a number of distinguished gentlemen in different parts of the United States to favor us with courses of lectures during the present session of Congress, and in almost every case the invitation has been accepted. It is intended to extend these invitations so as to call here in succession all who have distinguished themselves in literature or science. We shall not seek mere popular lecturers, whose chief recommendation is fluency of speech, or powers of rhetorical declamation, but chiefly those who are entitled, from their standing and acquirements, to speak with authority on the subjects of their discourse, and whose character will tend to give due importance to their communications. It is to be regretted that the amount of funds which can be devoted to this object is not as great as could be wished. It is hoped, however, that many persons will consider the opportunity of visiting Washington, and the compliment paid by the invitation, as in part a remuneration for the labor and time which their lectures may cost. But in all cases, sufficient should be allowed to defray all necessary expenses, and, as soon as the state of the funds will permit, to reward liberally, rather than otherwise, those who are called to assist the Institution in this way. I forbear to publish the names of those who have consented to lecture, lest they should be accidentally prevented from filling their engagement, and the public thus be disappointed.

To facilitate the approach to the building, at the time of these lectures, the walks were temporarily improved, at a considerable expense to the Institution. It is hoped that the authorities of the city of Washington will cause bridges to be erected across the canal, and walks to be constructed through the public grounds, to facilitate the approach to the building, and that the Institution will not be expected to provide accommodations of this kind.

Building.

The east wing of the building was taken possession of by the Secre tary in April last, and has since been constantly occupied. The west wing is now finished, and it is contemplated to occupy it temporarily as a library until the portion of the main building intended for this purpose is completed.

The plan of the Smithsonian building was designed by the architect, and recommended to the Board by a committee of the Regents, before the programme of organization was adopted. It is not strange, therefore, when the building came to be occupied, that changes in the internal arrangement should be deemed advisable which would better adapt it to the wants of the Institution. Such changes, at my suggestion, have been made; and for the propriety of these I am responsible. They are principally, however, those of simplification, and in themselves add nothing to the cost of the edifice. An increased expense, however, will arise out of the furnishing of new rooms which have been acquired by the alterations.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

JOSEPH HENRY, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT

Of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, for the year 1850.

To the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution :

GENTLEMEN: During the past year the several parts of the plan of organization have been prosecuted as efficiently as the portion of the income which could be devoted to them would permit. The financial affairs are in a prosperous condition, and though the funds are burthened with the erection of a costly building, and the expenditures trammelled by restrictions growing out of the requisitions of the charter of incorporation, yet the results thus far obtained, are such as satisfactorily to prove that the Institution is doing good service in the way of promoting and diffusing knowledge.

Though the programme of organization has been given in two of the annual reports and extensively published in the newspapers, its character does not appear to be as widely known and as properly appreciated as could be desired. Indeed it will be necessary at intervals to republish the terms of the bequest, and also the general principles of the plan which has been adopted, in order that the public may not only be informed of what the Institution is accomplishing, but also reminded of what ought reasonably to be expected from its operations. Moreover, there is a tendency in the management of public institutions to lose sight of the object for which they were established, and hence it becomes important frequently to advert to the principles by which they ought to be governed. I beg leave, therefore, as introductory to this report, briefly to recapitulate some of the propositions of the programme of organization, and to state some of the facts connected with its adoption.

SMITHSON left his property, in case of the death of his nephew, to whom it was first bequeathed, "to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men." These are the only words of the testator to serve as a guide to the adoption of a plan for the execution of his benevolent design. They are found, however, when attentively considered to admit of legitimate deductions sufficiently definite and comprehensive.

1. The bequest is made to the United States, in trust for the good of mankind.

2. The objects of the Institution are two-fold; first, to increase, second, to diffuse knowledge; objects which, though often confounded with each other, are logically distinct and ought to be separately regarded. The first is the enlargement of the existing stock of knowledge by the discovery of new truths, and the second is the dissemination of these and other truths among men.

3. No particular kind of knowledge is designated; hence a liberal interpretation of the bequest will include no part of the great domain of

science and literature from the degree of attention its importance may demand.

4. Since mankind are to be benefited by the bequest, any unneces sary expenditure on merely local objects would not be in accordance with the proper administration of the trust.

5. Though the funds are generally considered large, and much is expected of them, they are really small in proportion to the demands made upon them. The annual income of the bequest is less than half the cost of the publication of a single yearly report of the Patent Office.

6. In order, therefore, that the limited income may effect the greatest amount of good, it should be expended in doing that which cannot be done as well by other means.

These views, which have commanded the assent of all unprejudiced and reflecting persons who have studied the subject, have been the guiding principles in all cases in which I have had any power of direction; and I am happy to say they are fully adopted by the present directors and officers of the Institution.

To carry out the design of the testator, various plans were proposed; but most of these were founded on an imperfect apprehension of the terms of the Will. The great majority of them contemplated merely the diffusion of popular information, and neglected the first and the most prominent requisition of the bequest, namely, the "increase of knowledge." The only plan in strict conformity with the terms of the Will, and which especially commended itself to men of science, a class to which Smithson himself belonged, was that of an active living organization, intended principally to promote the discovery and diffusion of new truths by instituting original researches, under the direction of suitable persons, in History, Antiquities, Ethnology, and the various branches of Physical Science, and by publishing and distributing among libraries and other public institutions, accounts of the results which might thus be obtained, as well as of those of the labors of men of talent which could not otherwise be given to the world.

This plan, which was probably in the mind of the donor when he gave expression to the few but comprehensive words which indicate the objects of the bequest, is found from our experience to be eminently practical. It requires no costly building or expensive permanent establishment. Its operations, limited only by the amount of the income, are such as to affect the condition of man wherever literature and science are cultivated, while it tends in this country to give an impulse to original thought, which, amidst the strife of politics, and the inordinate pursuit of wealth, is of all things most desirable.

It was with the hope of being able to assist in the practical development of this plan, that I was induced to accept the appointment of principal executive officer of the Institution. Many unforeseen obstacles, however, presented themselves to its full adoption; and its advocates soon found, in contending with opposing views and adverse interests, a wide difference between what, in their opinion, ought to be done and what they could actually accomplish.

The plan was novel and by many considered entirely chimerical; indeed it could not be properly appreciated except by those who had been devoted to original research. Besides this, the law of Congress