PROGRAMME OF ORGANIZATION. 9 



the branch to which the memoir pertains ; and to he accepted for pub- 

 lication only in case the report of this commission is favorable. 



5. The commission to be chosen by the officers of the Institution, 

 and the name of the author, as far as practicable, concealed, unless a 

 favorable decision be made. 



6. The volumes of the memoirs to be exchanged for the transactions 

 of literary and scientific societies, and copies to be given to all the 

 colleges and principal libraries in this country. One part of the 

 remaining copies may be offered for sale ; and the other carefully pre- 

 served, to form complete sets of the work, to supply the demand from 

 new institutions. 



7. An abstract, or popular account, of the contents of these memoirs 

 to be given to the public through the annual report of the Kegents to 

 Congress. 



II. — By appropriating a part of the income, annually, to special objects 

 of research, under, the direction of suitable persons. 



1. The objects, and the amount appropriated, to be recommended 

 by counsellors of the Institution. 



2. Appropriations in different years to different objects, so that, in 

 course of time, each branch of knowledge may receive a share. 



3. The results obtained from these appropriations to be published 

 with the memoirs before mentioned, in the volumes of the Smithsonian 

 Contributions to Knowledge. 



4. Examples of objects for which appropriations may be made : 



(1.) System of extended meteorological observations for solving the 

 problem of American storms. 



(2.) Explorations in descriptive natural history, and geological, 

 magnetical, and topographical surveys, to collect materials for the 

 formation of a Physical Atlas of the United States. 



(3.) Solution of experimental problems, such as a new determination 

 of the weight of the earth, of the velocity of electricity, and of light; 

 chemical analyses of soils and plants ; collection and publication of 

 scientific facts accumulated in the offices of the government. 



(4.) Institution of statistical inquiries with reference to physical, 

 moral, and political subjects. 



(5.) Historical researches and accurate surveys of places celebrated 

 in American history. 



(6.) Ethnological researches, particularly with reference to the dif- 

 ferent races of men in North America; also, explorations and accurate 

 surveys of the mounds and other remains of the ancient people of our 

 country. 



DETAILS OF THE PLAN FOR DIFFUSING KNOWLEDGE. 



I. — By the publication of a series of reports, giving an account of the new 

 discoveries in science, and of the changes made from year to year in 

 all branches of knowledge not strictly professional. 



1. These reports will diffuse a kind of knowledge generally interest- 

 ing, but which, at present, is inaccessible to the public. Some of the 



