REPORT OF THE BUILDING COMMISSION. 125 



National Museum Building Commission, 



Office of Smithsonian Institution, 



Washington, D. C, January 19, 1880. 

 To the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution: 



Gentlemen: For several years past the attention of the Board of 

 Regents has been called to the rapid growth of the collections in the 

 National Museum and the need of increased accommodations for the 

 same. This necessity, however, was not deemed sufficiently impera- 

 tive to authorize a request for special Congressional legislation until 

 the close of the Centennial Exhibition, when it became evident that 

 the articles gathered by the Smithsonian Institution for the exhibition 

 in Philadelphia, under the act of Congress, added to the numerous cen- 

 tennial exhibits presented to the United States and taken charge of by 

 the Smithsonian Institution, constituted a mass of material for which 

 no provision could possibly be made in the present Smithsonian build- 

 ing. Under these circumstances, the Board of Eegents on the, 5th of 

 February, 1877, memorialized Congress for an appropriation of 8250,000 

 for the "immediate erection of a spacious building," and a few weeks sub- 

 sequently a bill for the purpose passed the Senate, but too late in the 

 session to secure consideration in the House of Representatives. The 

 effort was renewed during the winter of 1877-'78, but likewise without 

 action. On the 3d of March, 1879, however, the desired appropriation 

 was made through a provision in the sundry civil bill, as follows : 



" For a fire-proof building for the use of the National Museum, 300 

 feet square, to be erected under the direction of the Regents of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, in accordance with the plans now on file with the 

 Joint Committee of Public Buildings and (hounds, on the southeastern 

 portion of the grounds of the Smithsonian Institution, two hundred and 

 fitty thousand dollars : Said building to be placed east of the Smithso- 

 nian Institution, leaving a roadway between it and the latter of not less 

 than fifty feet, with the north front on a line with the south face of the 

 buildings of the Agricultural Department and of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tion ; and all expenditures for the purposes herein mentioned, not includ- 

 ing anything for architectural plans, shall be audited by the proper of- 

 ficers of the Treasury Department." 



Anticipating the early action of Congress in the premises, the Board of 

 Regents, on the 17th of January, 1879, adopted the following resolu- 

 tion : 



" Resolved, That the Executive Committee of the Board, or a majority 

 thereof, and the Secretary be, and they are hereby, authorized and em- 

 powered to act for and in the name of the Hoard of Regents in carrying 

 into effect the provisions of any net of Congress that may be passed pro- 

 Aiding for the erection of a building for the National Museum." 



Accordingly, on the 7th of March, 1879, Hon. Peter Parker and Gen- 

 eral W. T. Sherman, the resident members of the executive committee, 



