REPORT ON THE PROGRESS AND CONDITION OF 



THE U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM FOR THE 



YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1909. 



Ry Richard TiAthbun, 



Assistant ticcrcldni of the Smithsonian Institution, 



in charge of tlie U. S. National Museum. 



INCEPTION AND HISTOEY. 



The Con^Tess of the United States, in the act of August 10, 1846, 

 founding the Smithsonian Institution, recognized that an opportunity 

 was afforded, in carrying out the large-minded design of Smithson, 

 to provide for the custody of the museum of the nation. To this 

 new establishment was therefore intrusted the care of the national 

 collections, a course that time has fully justified. 



In the beginning the cost of maintaining the museum side of the 

 Institution's work was wholly paid from the Smithsonian income; 

 then for a number of years the Government bore a share, and durins; 

 the past three decades Congress has voted the entire funds for the 

 expenses of the Museum, thus furthering one of the primary means 

 " for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men " without 

 encroaching upon the resources of the Institution. 



The museum idea was inherent in the establishment of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, which in its turn was based upon a ten years' 

 discussion in Congress and the advice of the most distinguished 

 scientific men, educators, and intellectual leaders of the nation of 

 seventy years ago. It is interesting to note how broad and com- 

 prehensive were the views which actuated our lawmakers in deter- 

 mining the scope of the Museum, a fact especially remarkable when 

 it is recalled that at that date no museum of considerable size 

 existed in the United States, and the museums of England and of 

 the continent of Europe were still to a large extent without a 

 developed plan, although containing many rich collections. 



The Congress which passed the act of foundation enumerated as 

 within the scope of the Museum " all objects of art and of foreign 



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