88 PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS. 



aimiug to depose nothing but truth and the whole truth, and while so 

 doing being obliged to speak of my own discoveries, and to allude to the 

 omissions in Mr. Vail's book, I might expose myself to the possible, 

 and, as it has proved, the actual, danger of having my motives mis- 

 construed and my testimony misrepresented. But I can truly aver, in 

 accordance w ith the statement of the counsel, Mr. Chase, (now governor 

 of Ohio,) that I had no desire to arrogate to myself undue merit, or to 

 detract from the just claims of Mr. Morse. 



I have the honor to be your obedient servant, 



JOSEPH HENEY. 

 To THE Board of Regents. 



The Chancellor, Chief Justice Taney, corroborated Prof. Henry's 

 statement as to his advising a delay in noticing the publication re- 

 ferred to until the public mind should be more settled in regard to 

 the policy of the Institution, and the discussions which had arisen in 

 Congress in reference to it should be ended. 



He stated that it would be seen by the report of the decision of the 

 Supreme Court, in the case in which Professor Henry was a witness, 

 that, in the opinion of the court. Professor Morse had produced no 

 testimony that could invalidate the testimony of Professor Henry, or 

 impair in any degree its weight, and gave full credit to it in the 

 udgment it pronounced. 



REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS ON THE 



COMMUNICATION OF PROFESSOR HENRY. 



Professor Henry laid before the Board of Regents of the Smithso- 

 nian Institution a communication relative to an article in Shaffner's 

 Telegraph Companion, bearing the signature of Samuel F. B. Morse, 

 the inventor of the American electro-magnetic telegraph. In this 

 article serious charges are brought against Professor Henry, bearing 

 upon his scientific reputation and his moral character. The whole 

 matter having been referred to a committee of the Board, with in- 

 structions to report on the same, the committee have attended to the 

 duty assigned to them, and now submit the following brief report, with 

 resolutions accompanying it. 



The committee have carefully examined the documents relating to 

 the subject, and es2)eciaUy the article to which the communication of 

 Professor Henry refers. This article occupies over ninety pages, filling 

 an entire number of Shaffner's Journal, and purports to be "a defence 



