XIV JOUKNAL OF PROCEEDINGS. 



tor the services and expenses of the said Spencer F. Baird during his 

 adininislration of the ottice of Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, from 

 February twenty-tiftli, eighteen hundred and seventy-one, to the time 

 of his death in August, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven. 



The Secretary also called attention to the fact that Senator Morrill 

 had introduced a bill in the Senate on the 12th of December, 1887, as 

 follows : 



A BILL for the erection of a bronze statue of Spencer F. Bairtl, late Secretary of the 



Smithsonian Institution. 



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 

 States of America in Congress assembled, That the liegents of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution be, and are hereby, authorized to contract for a statue 

 in bronze of Spencer F. Baird, late Secretary of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution, to be erected upon the grounds in front of the National Museum ; 

 and for this i)urpose, and for the entire expense of the foundation and 

 pedestal of the monument, the sum of fifteen thousand dollars, or so 

 much of said sum as may be needed, is hereby appropriated, out of any 

 moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. 



On motion of Mr. Phelps it was resolved that the Executive Commit- 

 tee and the Secretary be authorized to act for the Board of Eegents 

 in case of the ])assage of any act of Congress relative to the erection of 

 a statue of Professor Baird. 



The Secretary stated that he had but one more matter to which to 

 call the attention of the Board ; it was brief, but of considerable im- 

 portance. 



It may be remembered that several years ago the Secretary of the In- 

 stitution, Professor Baird, called the attention of the liegents to a bill 

 ntroduced in the House of Representatives as follows, viz: 



"For the erection of a tire-proof building on the south portion of the Smithsonian 

 Reservation for the accommodation of the U. S. Geological Survey, aud for other 

 purposes. 



" Beit enacted by the Senate and Rouse of Representatives of the United 

 States of America in Congress assembled, That the sum of two hundred 

 thousand dollars be, and hereby is, appropriated out of any money in 

 the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the erection of a fire proof 

 building on the south i)ortion of the Smithsonian Keservatiou for the 

 accomiiiodatiou of the U. S. Geological Survey, and for other purposes: 

 Prot'idcd, That theconsent of the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution 

 l>e first obtained thereto, and that the building be under their direction 

 when completed : And provided further, That the bnihliug be erected by 

 the Architect of the Capitol in accordance with plans approved by the 

 Director of tlie United States Geological Survey, the Secretary of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, and the Architect of the Capitol, acting as a 

 board therefor. 



^' After a very full expression by the Regents in favor of immediate 

 action, on motion of General Sherman, it was 



''Resolved, That the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution 

 recommend to Congress to enlarge the National Museum, so as properly 

 to exhibit the mineral, geological, and other collections already on 

 hand and increasing each year, by the erection of a tire-proof building 



