their farms, enlarging their work-shops, putting money into their purse, educating their children, multiplying their domestic comforts, and thus increasing the national wealth by countless millions.

This Plan of Publication applicable to other State Documents.— Here I beg leave to suggest that this plan of publication might be adopted, to some extent, by the National and State governments, at a great saving to their respective treasuries, and with vast advantage to the people. The "Natural History of New York," a work which reflects honor upon the country, might have been published in this way at onehalf the expense to the State, at no more expense to the purchaser, and twenty copies for one might have gone into the hands of the people. Congressional and State laws of general interest should be simply stereotyped at the expense of the treasuries; they could then be published at a small advance on the material and labor, and come within the reach of all who desired them.

The Present Plan Not too Late.-Finally it may be objected that this plan comes too late; as the General Government has settled its mode of action, and appropriated the fund. But the plan adopted is not beyond the reach of amend ment. If Congress be not too wise to err, it should not be too dignified to mend. It has doubtless been their honest and earnest purpose to discharge their trust in good faith. If the present plan be worthy of adoption, it is competent for that honorable body to adopt it, restore the Smithsonian fund to the people, and charge the treasury with the expense of their own folly, if that folly must of necessity be persisted in. This sacred fund belongs to the people, and their wishes as well as their interest should be consulted in the disposal of it. We have a right to say to our rulers, hands off in the name of justice! Waste, if you will, the revenues! Spend fifty millions to war upon fifty Indians! Invade Mexico! Put your sub-treasuries into your pockets, or cast them into the sea! Do what else you will; but do not waste this trust fund in prodigal expenditures for a sumptuous building, a library, museum, and gallery of art, which not one in ten thousand of us shall ever behold. not fritter it away upon troops of gentlemen whose services we do not want, and ten thousand objects of expense which amount to nothing in the end. This fund is ours-its object is sacred-let it be so applied that its benefits may reach

us.

Do

Gentlemen of the American Institute, public instruction

is one of the most important duties of a wise and paternal government. To teach religion is the business of the church. The lower and the higher branches of science may be safely confided to the schools. But to enlighten our industry, to instruct us how to establish and defend our liberties, to continue the education of manhood, in all ranks of the community, is the business of Government. The press is the instrument ordained of God for these purposes. Directed by private interest it caters for a morbid intellectual appetite-floods the land with putrid waters—and buries useful knowledge under infinite accumulations of rubbish. We wish to put a press under the control of men in whom there is the spirit of excellent wisdom, that they may teach us. We are told that it would be unlawful to take money from our national treasury for this purpose. Lawful or unlawful, it cannot be had there. But by the favor of God, and James Smithson, a little fund has been provided for the diffusion of knowledge among men, which, by accumulation, now amounts to $757,298. It is about to be alienated from its holy purpose, or applied in a way which, keeping the promise to the ear, breaks it to the hope.

I propose that the people shall reclaim their money, and demand that it should be expended in the support of a bureau of national instruction, which shall speak to us in two annual volumes of industrial and political science. The plan is simple, feasible, efficient. It opens no flood-gates of expenditure, and leaves little room for contingencies. It puts the machinery of the Smithsonian Institution under the control of the incorruptible sages of our country. It offers reward to useful talent, but furnishes no sinecures for idleness. It would effect the object of Mr. Smithson, redeem the faith of the nation, and accomplish the wish of philanthropy," by the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men." These two volumes would do more for human happiness than "all the abundance cast into the Treasury." Like the mustard in the parable, they are small seeds, but let them take root, and they would send out" boughs to the sea, and branches to the rivers,"" their leaves would be fair, and their fruit much."

Gentlemen, is it your pleasure that this should be done? Let, then, the plan which I have suggested go to the country with your imprimatur. Truth is mighty-who knoweth but that it may prevail?

REPORT OF THE ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE OF THE

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION;

With the Resolutions accompanying the same, and adopted by the Board of Regents.

RESOLUTIONS APPOINTING A COMMITTEE ON ORGANIZATION AND REGARDING THE PRINTING AND DISPOSAL OF THEIR Report.

The following resolutions were adopted by the Board of Regents:
On the 8th of September, 1846, it was

Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed by the Chancellor from the members of the Board, to digest a plan to carry out the provisions of the act to establish the Smithsonian Institution, and that they report the same to the next meeting of the Board.

Whereupon, the Chancellor appointed Mr. Owen, Mr. Hilliard, and Mr. Bache, said committee.

And on the 9th of September, 1846, it was further

Resolved, That Mr. Choate and Mr. Penny backer be added to the committee appointed yesterday to digest a plan to carry out the provisions of the act establishing the Smithsonian Institution.

On the 1st of December, 1846, the Chairman of the Committee on Organization reported; and, on the 21st of December, the report, on motion of the chairman, was recommitted to the committee. On the 25th of January, 1847, the report as here presented, was made, and certain resolutions therewith submitted; and the whole series of resolutions recommended by the Committee, and herein appended to the report, were finally adopted by the Board. They comprise the outline of an entire plan of organization, to carry out the provisions of the act establishing the Smithsonian Institution. And it was further

Resolved, That, of this report, in such form as it may be ultimately adopted, five thousand copies be printed, under the direction of the Secretary; and that he be required to transmit a copy of the same to each of the principal scientific and literary societies, both in this and in other countries; and also to such individuals of scientific or literary reputation as he may judge likely to find interest in the proceedings of the institution.

Resolved, That ten copies of the report accompanying these resolutions be furnished each member of the Senate and House of Representatives, and that each member be respectfully requested to transmit these to newspapers and to individuals, in his district or elsewhere, who may be likely to take interest in the proceedings of the institution.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS ON PLAN OF ORGANIZATION.

"For the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men" were the words of Smithson's will-words used by a

man accustomed to the strict nomenclature of exact science. They inform us, that a plan of organization, to carry into effect the intention of the testator, must embrace two objects; one, the calling forth of new knowledge by original research; and the other, the dissemination of knowledge already in existence.

Smithson's words, liberal and comprehensive, exclude no branch of human knowledge; nor is there any restrictive clause in the charter under which we act. That charter indicates a few items, chiefly relating to one of the above objects, and leaves the rest of the plan, under the general provision of the bequest, to the discretion of the Board.

First. It sets forth, as one of the objects of the institution, a library that shall contain valuable works in all departments of human knowledge.

Second. It requires that there be provided in the buildings of the institution a hall or halls suitable for a museum capable of containing, on a liberal scale, collections of natural history, including geology and mineralogy, and objects of foreign and curious research; the large collection now in the Patent Office being transferred to the institution.

Third. It requires that there be included in said building a chemical laboratory.

Fourth. The building is to contain, also, "the necessary lecture rooms." And,

Fifth. A gallery of art.

These items, with the exception perhaps of the laboratory, relate to the diffusion of knowledge only. They render necessary an annual appropriation to collect and support a library; another to maintain a museum; and indicate an intention, that a portion of the annual interest should be applied to the advancement of physical science and the arts, in part by lectures.

But, after enumerating these items, the framers of the charter added a clause of plenary powers, authorizing the Board, as to all funds not required for the above special purposes, to make of them "such disposal as they shall deem best suited for the promotion of the purpose of the testator."

In obedience to the requirements of the charter, which leaves little discretion in regard to the extent of accomodations to be provided, your committee recommend, that there be included in the building a museum of liberal size, fitted up to receive the collections destined for the institution; and that library room sufficient for a hundred thousand volumes be provided. They further recommend, that the lecture rooms required by the act shall not exceed two in

number, of which one of small size should adjoin the laboratory, and another might be large enough to receive an audience of a thousand persons.*

As important as the cabinets of natural history, by the charter required to be included in the museum, your committee regard its ethnological portion, including all collections that may supply items in the physical history of our species, and illustrate the manners, customs, religions, and progressive advance of the various nations of the world: as for example, collections of skulls, skeletons, portraits, dresses, implements, weapons, idols, antiquities, of the various races of man.

In the accumulation of these collections, the institution has at command great facilities. The collections of the exploring expedition, which already belong to its museum, furnish an ample commencement, especially as regards Polynesia. Through the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and the various agencies under his control, the North American race can be reached; and, at small expense, the collection of Indian curiosities already begun at the Patent Office may be rapidly extended. So, through our army and navy officers, and our consuls in foreign nations, European and South American collections (the latter so recently enriched by modern discovery) might be gradually brought together.

In this connection your committee recommend the passage of resolutions, asking the co-operation of certain public functionaries, and of the public generally, in furtherance of the above objects.

Your committee are further of the opinion that, in the museum, if the funds of the institution permit, might judiciously be included various series of models illustrating the progress of some of the most useful inventions; such, for example, as the steam engine, from its earliest and rudest form to its present improved state; but this they propose only so far as it may not encroach on ground already covered by the numerous models in the Patent Office.

Specimens of staple materials, of their gradual manu

* The plan of building adopted by the Board, out of thirteen different designs submitted to them by various architects, is that of Mr. James Renwick, Jr., of New York. It comprises a museum 200 feet by 50; a library 90 feet by 50; a gallery of art 125 feet long; two lecture rooms, of which one is capable of containing an audience of 800 to 1000 persons; and the other is connected with the laboratory, together with several smaller rooms. The style selected is the later Norman, or rather Lombard, as it prevailed in the twelfth century chiefly in Germany, Normandy, and in Southern Europe, immediately preceding the introduction of the Gothic.