PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS. 117 



Present: Hon. James M. Mason, Hon. W. H. English, Hon. B. 

 Stanton, General Joseph G. Totten, Professor A. D. Bache, and the 

 Secretary. 



Mr. Mason was called to the chair. 



The minutes were read and approved. 



The report of the Secretary was read and adopted. 



The Board then took a recess till Friday evening. 



Friday, February 22, 8 p. to. 



Present : Messrs. Pearce, Douglas, English, and Totten. 



The Secretary read the appendix to his annual report. 



The Secretary presented the following letters, which he had prepared 

 in accordance with the resolution of the Board, relative to aerial navi- 

 gation, in answer to the memorial of citizens of Philadelphia, and to 

 the communication of Mr. Lowe. 



Smithsonian Institution, 



Washington, March 8, 1861. 



Gentlemen: Your communication, addressed to the Smithsonian 

 Institution, commending Mr. Lowe to the Board of Regents, for 

 assistance in carrying out his proposed experiment to cross the Atlantic 

 by means of a balloon, was duly received. It was presented to the 

 Board of Regents at their meeting of February 16, was respectfully 

 considered, and, after due deliberation, the following resolution was 

 adopted : 



" Resolved, That the Secretary be requested to give Mr. Lowe any 

 advice which he may deem fit as to his experiments ; and to reply to the 

 memorialists, stating the reasons why the Regents do not consider 

 themselves at liberty to make any appropriation from the Smithsonian 

 fund for the purpose mentioned in the communication ' 



In accordance with the above resolution I would state that the 

 Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution are responsible to the 

 Government and to the world for the prudent expenditure of the income 

 of the Smithson bequest, and inasmuch as the proposed experiment is 

 one which, in the minds of the majority of considerate and reflective 

 persons, is of great hazard, the Regents do not think, whatever might 

 be their individual desire to advance the art of aerial navigation, that 

 they would be justified in making an appropriation from the Smith- 

 sonian income to assist in this enterprise. 



Any questions which may be propounded to me in regard to the 

 experiment of Mr. Lowe will be cheerfully answered, as far as we have 

 the means of giving the required information. 



I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



JOSEPH HENRY, _ 

 Secretary Smithsonian Institution. 



To Messrs. Jno. C. Cresson, Isaac Lea, and others, 



Philadelphia. 



