264 BULLETIN 109, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



At the legislative session of 1856-57, however, Harper procured the 

 passage of an act entitled "An act to provide for the printing of the 

 Second Annual Report of the Agricultural and Geological Survey of 

 the State, and for other purposes," approved January 31, 1857. The 

 substantial provisions of this act were : First, the complete separation 

 of the survey from all connection with the State University ; second, 

 that the survey should be prosecuted to completion according to the 

 provisions of the previous act by a State geologist to be appointed by 

 the governor and to receive a salary of $2,000 a year, to be furnished 

 with such an outfit as may be necessary to be provided under the di- 

 rection of the governor. " He shall also keep an exact account of his 

 expenses in making said survey and submit the same to. the examina- 

 tion of the governor, who shall issue his requisition upon the treasury 

 for the amount, provided the sum shall not exceed $1,000 per annum." 

 \ji appropriation of $1,200 was also made for the purchase of chem- 

 ical apparatus for making analyses, and the State geologist was au- 

 thorized to " occupy as a laboratory the two front rooms in the second 

 itory of the penitentiary building, and he shall be allowed the assist- 

 ance of one convict, to be named by the inspectors, to aid him in keep- 

 ing his apparatus in good order." It was also ordered " that 5,000 

 copies of Professor Harper's report be printed," and thereafter dis- 

 tributed in accordance with the provisions of the former act. The sum 

 of $3,500 was appropriated for this publication, and Harper entered 

 upon the office on March 1, 1857, but was voted compensation from the 

 date of his resignation, in November preceding. The only work per- 

 formed by him during his tenure of office under this act was the writ- 

 ing and publication of his report, which was done under his personal 

 supervision at New York, although, like the former report, it bears 

 the imprint of the State printer at Jackson. The circulation of the 

 report through the State soon produced the inevitable result of dis- 

 crediting its author to such an extent that toward the end of the year 

 1857 he was obliged to resign his office. 



Shortly afterwards the appointment was tendered to Doctor Hil- 

 gard, who entered upon its duties early in 1858. At Jackson he 

 found in the " two front rooms in the second story of the peniten- 

 tiary," imder the charge of the convict assistant, the outcome of the 

 purchases made by Harper under the provision for the outfitting of 

 an analytical laboratory. It consisted essentially of apparatus for 

 elementary lectures in chemistry and an expensive microscope. The 

 analytical balance was represented by a pair of apothecary's scales, 

 etc. Under authority of the governor a portion of these articles 

 were sold and the proceeds applied to the purchase of necessaries 

 for analytical work, and under the same authority and by permission 



