800 EXAMINATION OF PROFESSOR HENRY and among its collaborators; and in that way there is a considerable diffusion of knowledge. 1569. Has it ever been under consideration whether Congress could properly make an additional appropriation in aid of the funds of the Institution ?-Yes. When the funds of the Institution came to America, they were lent to one of the States, and that State failed to pay; but Mr. Walker, one of the Secretaries of the Treasury, established a rule that all money coming into the Treasury of the United States on account of the land sold for that State should be retained until this debt was repaid by the State. The United States, however, after eight years, assumed the debt, and declared that the Smithsonian fund money is for ever in the Treasury of the United States. 1570. And there was no actual loss from it?-No, there was no actual loss to the Institution, and now it appears there will be no actual loss to the Government. The proposition has been that the Government should take the proceeds of this old debt, and appropriate it to the establishment of a museum, thus relieving the Institution entirely from the charge of the museum; and there is nothing to prevent Congress doing so. 1571. Are the annual applications in excess of the funds. that you have at your command?-We could dispense a great deal more than we do, but in order to satisfy the Regents it is necessary that we should save a little for contingencies, and show a favorable balance.. 1572. You accumulate every year, do you not?—Yes, a little. 1573. (Professor Huxley.) You have doubtless heard that in this country the Government places £1,000 every year at the disposal of the Council of the Royal Society, and that the Council of the Royal Society appoints a committee, consisting not only of its own members, but of representative men of science belonging to other scientific bodies, and that committee is called the Government Grant Committee. All applications for portions of the money granted by the Government, are made to that committee, and they are practically decided upon by it. The committee consists entirely and purely of men of science. It is in fact a sort of scientific parliament on a small scale, containing the leading representatives of every scientific body in the country. May I ask whether you think that that is the better mode of administering funds in aid of science, than through such a body of Regents as you have in the Smithsonian Institution?—I should not like to say that it was better. On that BY THE ENGLISH SCIENTIFIC COMMISSION. 801 point I would rather not decide. The Institution has been formed under peculiar circumstances, and it has so happened that the funds are in charge of men who are not scientific, and it must always be so; but they are now men who are in favor of science, and they trust to the Secretary the management of the establishment. But I think that the approtriation of a sum of money expended in the way you mention is of vast importance, and I am only surprised, excuse my saying so, that a nation of the wealth and intelligence of Great Britain should appropriate so small a sum. 1574. You have doubtless heard that small as that sum is, it is not all expended?—No, I have not heard that. There are various fields of research in which twenty times that sum might be readily expended. 1575. (Chairman.) Are there any other points on which you would like to give the Commission any information ?— I do not think I can give any of importance. 51 INDEX. A.. Aboriginal relics, thanks to E. G. Squier for, 62. Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, thanks of, Accident to building, 26 February, 1850, 61. Account current, quarterly to be rendered, 306. examination of, 66, 173, 486, 492, 547, 550, 554, services of Mr. Rhees on, 352. of National Museum, how paid and examined, method of keeping, 434. programme or classification of, 486. See reports of Executive Committee. Act of Congress establishing Institution, com- relative to increase of trust fund, 305. to substitute Governor of District in place of to establish the S. I., August 10, 1846, 753 fruits of, 107. resolutions of respect to memory of, 89. Address of Geo. M. Dallas at laying corner Aerial navigation, application of currents of Aerolites, General Carleton's account of, 251. attendance as Regent, 219, 233, 300, 302, 316, appointed on committee on active operations appointed on committee on use of room, 304. gave account of expedition through Straits made trustee of Bache Fund, 400. memoir on fossil fish of North America, 467. Agassiz, L.-Continued. on cetacean remains found on American con- opinion of publications of Institution, 220. Henry, publications of Institution and remarks of Gen. Jas. A. Garfield on, 418. remarks on policy of Institution in regard remarks on museum hall, 320. remarks on policy of Institution in distribu- report of, on use of hall, 317. report of committee on active operations and resolutions on death of, 421. views of, on transfer of library, 318. views of, on transfer of museum to Govern- Agency of Smithsonian publications changed Agent to conduct exchanges, to be appointed, 74. Agricultural chemistry, D. P. Gardner applies Daniel Lee applies for professorship of, 20. Agricultural report, meteorological statistics Agricultural Society, letter from president of, use of lecture-room granted to, 97. Ainsa, S., letter on meteorite, 226, 227. Alexander, Capt. B. S., plans of, for finishing report on the fire, 236. estimates cost of repairs to building at employed as architect, 707. report of, on building, 710. work done by, as architect, 713. Alexander, Charles A., death and services of, 351. Allen, Mr., letter from, on importance of at- Alphabet standard, use of, recommended by American Academy Arts and Sciences, thanks of, for Smithsonian system of exchanges, circular of, relative to continuance of observ- American Academy of Fine Arts, recommends American Geographical and Statistical Society, American Journal of Science, paper of Prof. American Philosophical Society, premium of, Ampere, plans of telegraph of, 145. Anatomy, promotion of, by Institution, 107. 355. Anderson, Captain, married Mrs. Wynns, 182, Anderson, John George, executor of Thomas Anemones, account of, by Lloyd, 331. Angelo, Michael, personification of "Thought" Animals, mounted, offered by Schlagintweit, 198. Annales de Chimie, purchased, 483. Annuity to Madame de la Batut, 8, 20, 72, 505. Apparatus, resolution for purchase of, 14. appropriation for arrangement of, 43. catalogue of Hare's, to be prepared, 54. experiments with, by Espy, 72. lens and air pump presented by J. R. Priestly, 155. loss of, by fire, 237. appropriation for, 452. presented by Dr. Hare, 464, 467, 478, 483. ordered from Prof. Snell, 471. from Ruhmkorff, 471. from Chamberlain, 474. expenditures for, 14, 481, 482, 490, 491, 493, 494, Apparatus-room, specifications, 658. Applications for office, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 19, 20, 21, Appropriation, estimate of, for fitting up hall asked from Congress for new heating appa- by Congress for meteorology, 72. by Congress to pay for damage by fire, sug- by Congress of $500 for transfer of library, by Congress of $10,000 for care of collections, 355. by Congress for museum, 528, 531, 535, 539, by Congress for improvement of public by Congress for cases, 712. equal division to be made in, between two Appropriations, 13, 15, 26, 39, 41, 42, 53, 68, 73, 79, estimates to be submitted every year, as to be apportioned specifically, 104, 112, 115. letter from F. Troyon on, 185. I. Dille's account, 200. remains in Missouri and Tennessee, 200. researches in Peru, by Chas B. Wells, 58. Arcner, William, presented plans for building, 5. explanation of plans by, 23. asks remuneration for plans furnished, 40, 690. Architect to report on cause of accident to report on specifications of, 611. building for office of, ordered, 671. final accounts of J. Renwick as, 504, 707. associated with committee in examination of expenditures, 481, 482, 490, 493, 494, 496, 498, Architects to receive copies of volume of plans, Architecture, payment for Canina's work on, proposition for encouragement of, by Mr. publication by Board, of work on, 30, 32, 474, Arctic expedition of Dr. Kane, aid to, 87. Arithmetical scales, account of, 327. Arkansas, debt from, assumed by United States Regents requested to unite with other parties Army Medical Museum, deposit of skulls in, Arnot, Mr., visited by Building Committee, 6. Arny, W. F. M., appointed by Illinois State Arroyo, F. F., Mutsun vocabulary, 191, 207. school of, proposed, 125. Art gallery, Institution should be relieved of, Assistants, needed by the Secretary, 67. power of Secretary to remove, 110, 113. pay of, referred to Executive Committee, Assistant Secretary, B B. French appointed, 3. C. C. Jewett acceptance, 31. Jewett, duties of, to commence March 19, services to be rendered by, before March, committee to be appointed to consider what to be under direction of special committee report relative to duty of, 49. to receive full compensation, 54. |