48 THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART 



cautiously, with such changes, from time to time, as experience 

 may dictate." 



Among the subjects which Secretary Henry enumerates as ap- 

 propriate to be embraced in the pubUcations of the Institution, 

 for diffusing knowledge, are "the fine arts and their application 

 to the useful arts." 



"The second section of the programme," in the words of 

 Secretary Henry, "gives, so far as they have been made out, the 

 details of the part of the plan of organization directed by the 

 act of Congress establishing the institution. The two plans, 

 namely, that of publication and original research, and that of 

 collections of objects of nature and art, are not incompatible, 

 and may be carried on harmoniously with each other. The 

 only effect which they will have on one another is that of limit- 

 ing the operation of each, on account of the funds given to the 

 other. Still, with a judicious application, and an economical 

 expenditure of the income, and particularly by rigidly observing 

 the plan of finance, suggested by Dr. Bache, in the construction 

 of the building, much good may be effected in each of the two 

 branches of the institution. . . . 



"The collections of the institution, as far as possible, should 

 consist of such articles as are not elsewhere to be found in this 

 country, so that the visitors at Washington may see new 

 objects, and the spirit of the plan be kept up, of interesting the 

 greatest possible number of individuals. A perfect collection 

 of all objects of nature and of art, if such could be obtained and 

 deposited in one place, would form a museum of the highest in- 

 terest; but the portion of the income of the bequest which can 

 be devoted to the increase and maintenance of the museum will 

 be too small to warrant any attempt toward an indiscriminate 

 collection. It is hoped that in due time other means may be 

 found of establishing and supporting a general collection of 

 objects of nature and art at the seat of the general government, 

 with funds not derived from the Smithsonian bequest. For the 

 present, it should be the object of the institution to confine the 

 application of the funds, first, to such collections as will tend 

 to facilitate the study of the memoirs which may be published 

 in the Contributions, and to establish their correctness; 

 secondly to the purchase of such objects as are not generally 



