24 COLUMBIAN INSTITUTE FOR THE 



though some were made the subject of petitions to Congress, as were 

 also several matters not directly relating to pecuniary assistance. 



On December 22, 1817, the committee on securing an act of incor- 

 poration was instructed to request authority of Congress to raise 

 money by way of lottery to meet the necessary expenditures of the 

 Institute. This action was evidently based on the following report 

 from the committee on botany and agriculture, but it did not take 

 form until four years later : 



The committee to whom was referred a resolution of the general committee 

 on the 3d ulto, report that they have had the subject under consideration, and 

 that amidst a variety of schemes which have presented themselves to the minds 

 of your committee to procure funds for the purpose of purchasing a botanical 

 and agricultural library for the use of the Institute, the most practicable one 

 appears to them to be that of a lottery. In addition to an extensive and valu- 

 able collection of books on these subjects, funds enough may be obtained in this 

 way to lay out, ornament and embellish a botanical garden, to purchase a valu- 

 able cabinet of minerals, to erect a building for the meetings and accommoda- 

 tion of the Institute, and to defray all the necessary expenses of the different 

 establishments over which it may have control and jurisdiction. The com- 

 mittee conceive that, by a petition to Congress, authority will be granted to raise 

 a lottery, which might be disposed of to brokers advantageously to the society, 

 and that thus funds would be procured, amply sufficient for all the purposes 

 of the Institute for many years. 



The Institute received its charter from Congress on April 20, 

 1818, and on October 5, the general committee earnestly recommended, 



that measures be taken, either by an application to the Congress of the United 

 States or by such other mode as the Institute may approve, for the obtaining of 

 a lot within the City of Washington, on which a building may be erected for 

 the reception and safe keeping of the books and other property, and for the 

 meetings of the Institute or of its committees. That though your committee 

 will not assent that without such provision of a permanent place of meeting the 

 Institute will fail, yet they believe that its progress will be greatly retarded. 

 That the Congress of the United States having granted a liberal charter, your 

 committee have confident expectations that the Institute will adopt such meas- 

 ures as will prove the sincerity of their wishes to promote the arts and sciences. 

 On December 28, 1818, the committee appointed to prepare a 

 memorial to Congress for a grant of public ground reported the 

 following draft, addressed to the Senate and House of Representa- 

 tives, which was read and agreed to by the Institute : 



That by the fourth section of the act of incorporation, passed on the 20th day 

 of April last, the said Institute is authorized to procure, by purchase or other- 

 wise, a suitable building for the preservation and safe-keeping of a library 

 and for a museum ; and also a tract or parcel of ground, not exceeding five acres. 



That, although the Institute has endeavored to avail itself of the privilege 

 and advantage given by the above recited section, it has hitherto been unsuc- 

 cessful therein, and it, moreover, has reason to apprehend that the accomplish- 

 ment of this important object will, for a long time, be beyond its pecuniary 



