THE YOUNG PROFESSOR 199 



From Joseph Henry to Spencer F. Baird. 



SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, Dec. u, 1849. 

 MY DEAR SIR, 



I have no doubt that you are very anxious to learn the state of 

 the Smithsonian affairs, particularly in reference to the probability 

 of your appointment at the next meeting of the Board, and I regret 

 with my present engagements I am unable to go into a full exposition 

 of all the facts bearing on the question. From present appearances 

 I do not think there is any prospect of your being appointed at the 

 approaching meeting, though if the state of the funds are no worse 

 than I think they are, something more may perhaps be allowed for 

 collections. 



You know that in order to increase the principal of the Smith- 

 sonian fund the Regents resolved to defer the full operation of the 

 Institution until after March, 1852. They wished and still wish to 

 be able to state to the public that after completing the building and 

 getting the Institution under way, they have added 150,000 dols. 

 to the original fund. Every proposition which interferes with this 

 plan is received with coolness. The plan was originally suggested 

 by the probability that I was about to resign the office of Secretary 

 and it was afterwards modified so as not to bring in Professor Jewett 

 until the completion of the building. This part of the plan was 

 warmly opposed by Mr. Jewett and his friends, and I think, justly, 

 because he had been appointed to commence his duties three years 

 before the above-mentioned time. The plan was adopted and Profes- 

 sor Jewett was brought in three months before the time mentioned 

 and in consequence of this I asked at the last session of the Board 

 that an additional appropriation might be made for the active opera- 

 tion of the Institution. This, however, was reluctantly granted 

 and was finally considered favorably only on account of the advance 

 in the value of the stock which formed the principal part of the build- 

 ing fund. All the appropriations of the present year have been ex- 

 pended and, besides this, a portion of the library of Mr. Marsh, to 

 the value of 3,000 dolls, has been purchased. The purchase was made 

 in the first place with the idea that the money was not to be advanced 

 on it until the end of three years. Mr. Marsh, however, found it 

 impossible to make his arrangements for leaving the country without 



