grounds, for the purchase of books and apparatus, for publications and researches, and for all other purposes, the value of the funds at the present time exceeds by a small amount that of the original appropriation of the act of Congress of September, 1846, establishing the Institution. Respectfully submitted. G. M. DALLAS, Chancellor of the Smithsonian Institution. JOSEPH HENRY, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, AT THEIR THIRD ANNUAL MEETING. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1848. This being the day fixed by their resolutions of September 9, 1846, and of December 21, 1847, for their regular annual meeting, the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution convened in the room of the Vice President of the United States, in the Capitol, at 12 o'clock, m. Present, the Chancellor, Messrs. Bache, Breese, Davis, Hilliard, Marsh, McClelland, Pearce, Seaton, and Totten. A quorum being present, and the Chancellor being obliged to leave in consequence of his duties in the Senate, Mr. Totten was called to the chair. The Secretary stated to the meeting that Messrs. Choate and Hawley had been reappointed as regents to fill the vacancies occasioned by the expiration of their first term of service. The Secretary also stated that he had sent telegraphic messages to Messrs. Choate and Hawley announcing their reappointment, and informing them that the board would probably transact no business for some days in order to give them an opportunity to be present. Whereupon, on motion, The board adjourned to meet on Monday, the 18th instant, at 11 o'clock, a. m. MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1848. The board met agreeably to adjournment. Present, the Chancellor, Messrs. Bache, Davis, Marsh, McClelland, Pearce, Seaton, and Totten. Mr. Seaton, from the Executive Committee, presented a report of the expenditures and state of the funds of the institution. Mr. Totten, from the Building Committee, presented a report on the progress of erection of the Smithsonian edifice and improvements of the grounds, with estimates of future expenses, &c. The Secretary presented his annual report of the operations of the Institution, accompanied by a report of the Assistant Secretary relative to the library. On motion, it was Resolved, That these several reports be recorded on the pages of the journal. On motion, The board adjourned to meet on Wednesday, the 20th instant, at II o'clock, a. m. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1848. The board met agreeably to adjournment. Present, the Chancellor, Messrs. Bache, Breese, Davis, Marsh, Pearce, Seaton, and Totten. On motion of Mr. Marsh, it was Resolved, That the Secretary and Executive Committee be authorized to present to Messrs. Squier and Davis two hundred copies of their memoir contained in the first volume of the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge. Mr. Marsh presented a letter from John R. Bartlett, of New York, accompanying a plan for the preparation of a new and improved dictionary of the English language, under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution. On motion, it was Resolved, That the forementioned letter and plan be referred to the Secretary, the Executive Committee, and Mr. Marsh. On motion of Mr. Marsh, it was Resolved, That the Secretary be authorized to purchase, for the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars, the lithographic stones upon which are traced the designs for the first volume of the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge. Mr. Seaton presented letters from several persons making application for employment in the institution. The Secretary called the attention of the board to the statement made in his report relating to the valuable donation of apparatus, made to the instituion by Dr. Robert Hare, of Philadelphia. Whereupon, on motion of Mr. Seaton, it was unanimously Resolved, That a committee be appointed, to consist of the Chancellor, Secretary, and Mr. Pearce, to communicate in suitable terms to Dr. Hare, the thanks of the Board of Regents for the munificent present of his extensive and very valuable apparatus to the Smithsonian Institution. The Secretary stated to the board the progress made in the distribution of the first volume of the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge among colleges, learned societies, and large libraries; no copies having as yet been given to individuals. The Secretary presented a list of donations to the Institution. The Secretary also presented letters from several distinguished individuals highly approving the plan of the proposed Bibliographia Americana, mentioned in his report. (See appendix A.) On motion, the board adjourned to meet on Wednesday, the 27th instant, at 11 o'clock, a. m. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1848. The board met agreeably to adjournment. Present, Messrs. Bache, Davis, McClelland, Seaton, and Totten. The Secretary presented a letter from J. Disturnell, of New York city, accompanying a copy of a memorial to Congress relative to the preparation of a new Gazetteer of North America, which letter and memorial were referred to the Secretary and Executive Committee. The Secretary also presented a letter from Francis Markoe, esq. of Washington, offering for sale to the Institution the collection of objects of natural history belonging to the estate of the late British minister to the United States, H. S. Fox, esq.,; which was referred to the Secretary and Executive Committee, it being understood that the financial arrangements of the board do not for the present allow the purchase of collections in natu ral history. The Secretary also presented a letter from Archibald Campbell, esq., Deputy Secretary of the State of New York, accompanying a donation to the Institution, made in accordance with an act of the legislature of that State, of the 14 published volumes in 4to of the Natural History of New York. On motion, the Chancellor and Secretary were requested to present the thanks of the Board of Regents for this valuable donation. The Secretary also presented letters from several presidents of colleges; also reports from several learned societies, highly commending the programme of organization of the Institution, Whereupon, it was Resolved, That the Secretary be instructed to insert in the records of the Institution the names of all such individuals and societies. On motion, it was Resolved, That the Chancellor, Secretary, and Chairman of the Executive Committee be requested to prepare the annual report of the Regents to Congress, giving an account of the operations, expenditures and condition of the Institution. On motion of Mr. McClelland, it was Resolved, That the Secretary be requested to return the thanks of the Board of Regents to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, to the Secretary of the Navy, and to the Secretary of War for their assistance in promoting the objects of the Institution. Also, to the Hon. Mr. Irwin and Mr. Trist for their donations; and to Mr. Downs, of Philadelphia, for his computations of occultations. At the request of Mr Seaton, the Executive Committee were allowed. to withdraw their report, in order to enable them to include therein the disbursements and condition of the finances of the Institution up to the end of the year 1848. At the request of Mr. Totten, permission was given to the Building Committee to withdraw their report for the purpose of making the same more complete. On motion, it was Resolved, That the board adjourn, to meet on Wednesday next, at 11 o'clock, a. m. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 1849. The board met agreeably to adjournment. Present, the Chancellor, Messrs. Bache, Marsh, McClelland, Seaton and Totten; also, by invitation, Dr. Hare, of Philadelphia. Mr. Seaton presented the revised report of the Executive Committee, which had been withdrawn for the purpose of extending the accounts up to the 1st January, 1849; which was accepted. The Secretary read a letter from Dr. Hare, relative to the presentation of his apparatus to the Institution; which was ordered to be placed upon the journal. (See appendix B.) Mr. Bache presented letters from J. Guillemard, esq., of Woodford, England, and from Professor Faraday, of London, concerning James Smithson; which were ordered to be preserved in the archives of the Institution. Mr. Seaton, from the Building Committee, read a letter from Mr. Owen, late a Regent and Chairman of the Building Committee, relative to the publication of the work entitled "Hints on Public Architecture." Whereupon, on motion, it was Resolved, That the Building Committee be authorized, provided the same be required by the publishers, to transfer out of the appropriation originally made for experiments on building materials, a sum not exceeding two hundred dollars, to the appropriations heretofore made, for the publication of a volume on public architecture. On motion of Mr. Seaton, the following appropriations, recommended by the Executive Committee for the service of the ensuing year, were taken up, considered, and adopted, viz: For publication of "Contributions to Knowledge". Scientific researches and computations Meteorological instruments and researches. Publication of scientific reports Preparation of the general catalogue of American Purchase of bibliographical works and books of general Binding, blank books, stamps, certificates, &c. - $3,000 00 700 00 1,000 00 500 00 500 00 1,000 00 2,000 00 250 00 400 00 8,000 00 17,350 00 On motion, it was Resolved, That the Chancellor and the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution be authorized to exchange the treasury notes belonging to the Institution for United States stock; that the certificates for the said stock be taken in the name of the Chancellor and Secretary, and that the stock and its proceeds be at the disposal of the same, under the regulations heretofore existing as to the treasury notes for the purposes of the Institution, in accordance with the several appropriations of the board. On motion of Mr. Seaton, it was Resolved, That the Secretary be authorized to appoint some suitable person, at a salary not to exceed four hundred dollars per aunum, to act as book-keeper and accountant of the Institution and to perform such other duties as are specified in the report of the Executive Committee. The Secretary exhibited a copy of the last edition of Dr Hare's Chemistry, presented to the Institution by the author, containing illustrations of his apparatus now the property of the Institution, and mentioned that among the articles presented by Dr. Hare, were the blocks from which these illustrations were printed. |