82 PROCEEDINGS OF THE EEGENTS. 



Hon. J. A. Pearce, Hon. S. A. Douglas, Hon. W. H. English, Hon. 

 Benjamin Stanton, Prof. A. D. Bache, and the Secretary. 



The minutes were read and approved. 



Mr. Pearce explained the report of the Executive Committee and the 

 estimates for the year 1858, and, on motion, they were adopted. 



The following report was presented from Prof. Felton, of the com- 

 mittee to whom was referred the communication of Mr. J. M. Stanley: 



REPORT ON THE PROPOSITION TO PURCHASE THE INDIAN GALLERY. 



N. 



The Secretary laid before the Board a letter from Mr. J. M. Stanley, 

 painter of the gallery of Indian jjortraits, now on deposit with the 

 Smithsonian Institution, proposing to sell them to the Institution for 

 the sum of twelve thousand dollars. 



The committee appointed to consider and report upon the subject 

 respectfully represent that, while they are fully sensible of the great 

 historical and ethnological value of this collection of portraits, and 

 of their characteristic excellence, they are yet of opinion that it 

 would be inexpedient to withdraw the sum mentioned from the funds 

 necessary to carry on the scheme of active operations, which has been 

 so ably inaugurated and, thus far, so successfully executed. The 

 income of the Smithsonian fund should not be scattered among differ- 

 ent and disconnected objects, and the sum necessary for the purchase 

 of the gallery cannot be spared, without crippling for a time, at least, 

 the regular operations of the Institution. 



Among the Contributions to Knowledge several important works 

 relating to the aboriginal inhabitants of America have been published 

 by the Institution and circulated over the civilized world. 



Grammars and dictionaries of the Indian languages may be men- 

 tioned as of special interest, and of great value to the science of com- 

 parative philology. Their language will probably pass away, and 

 the races speaking them disappear; but the works to which we allude 

 will preserve, ibr future investigators of the science of philology, 

 the characteristic form in which their thoughts were expressed^ and 

 will have an important bearing, not only on general ethnological 

 inquiries, but on the j)hilosophy of the human mind. These volumes 

 have been eagerly sought and studied by the most eminent compara- 

 tive philologists of Europe, and have, by universal consent^ contri- 

 buted materially to the increase and diffusion of knowledge among 

 men in that department of science. 



But though your committee are of opinion that the purchase of this 



