REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 1 1 



terior Departuient acts as the (lislnirsino- officer for tbeSmitlisouiaii, and 

 a clerk has been assigned, as I am informed, by the Smithsonian todnty 

 in the Interior Depart nieiit to assist the disbursing otficer. 



Obvionsly tliere is nothing in the rehitions between tlie Smithsonian 

 and the Interior Department to require the continuance of this state of 

 things. The National Jtluseum enjoys now an annual approi)riation of 

 a large amount in the various items, not usually less than $ 150,000. In 

 the last act the appropriation was of $12,000 for heating, lighting, elec- 

 trical, and telephonic service; of $110,000 for the preservation, exhibi- 

 tion, and increase of the collections ; and of $40,000 for cases, furniture, 

 fixtures, and appliances ; both of the latter items embracing salaries. 

 These items indicate not only the considerable proportions which the 

 Museum has attained, but that their disbursement should be in the 

 hands of those who have ^he government ot the Museum and a direct 

 responsibility exacted. 



So tai', then, fiom there apjiearing to be objection, the facts suggest 

 to my mind the wisdom and desirability of providing for the National 

 Museum directly, and imposing responsibility for the disbursement of 

 the ai)propriation immediately upon the officers of that Institution, and 

 with accountability to the Treasury, as in other cases. 



The act of July 7, 1884 (23 Stats., 214), was a stej) in the direction 

 of this independency of requiring the director of the National Museum 

 to report annually to Congress the progress of the Museum during the 

 year and its present condition. 



The papers you kindly loaned me are herewith returned. 

 I have the honor to be, very respectfully, 



Wm. F. Vilas, 



i^ecrctary. 



Prof. S. P. Langley, 



Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



Department of the Interior, 



^yashin(^ton, Fehniary 20, 1888. 



Sir: Eeplying to your favor of the 10th instant, I beg to say that it 

 seems to me that so long as Congress has made the ai)propriation for 

 the current year "under the Interior Department" in terms, it is neces- 

 sary that it should be expended according to the practice hitherto 

 l)revailing; and that, if the same terms of appropriation should be 

 continued, it would be with the expectation that the fixed practice of 

 disbursement would continue also. It is therefore probably uecessary 

 that the language of the appropriation should be changed in order to 

 effect the object desired. It may be presumed the accounting officers 

 of the Treasury would require it. 



The same observations may be applied to the appropriation for print- 

 ing", 1 think it desirable that that should be separately made, so that 

 the Smithsonian Institution should be independent, in its use of the 

 provisions made by Congress, of this Department, and this Departmeut 

 freed of care in resi)ect to it. 

 Yours, respectfully, 



WiAi, F, Vilas, 



Secretary. 



Prof. S. P. Langley, 



Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



