REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 97 



DETAILS OF TIFE PLA.X FOR DIFFUSING KNOWLEDGE. 



I. By the publication of a scries of reports giving an account of the new discoveries in 

 science, and of the changes made from year to year in all branches of knowledge not strictly 

 professional.— 1. These reiiorts will diffuse a kind of knowledge geuerally interesting, 

 but which, at present, is inaccessible to the public. Some of the reports may be pub- 

 lished annually, others at longer intervals, as the income of the Institution or the 

 changes in the branches of knowledge may indicate. 2. The reports are to be prepared 

 by collaborators eminent in the different branches of knowledge. 3. Each collabo- 

 rator to be furnished with the journals and publications, domestic and foreign, nec- 

 essary to the compilation of his report; to be paid a certain sum for his labors, and 

 to be named on the title-page of the report. 4. The reports to be published in sepa- 

 rate jiarts, so that persons interested in a particular branch can procure the parts 

 relating to it without purchasing the whole. 5. These reports may be presented to 

 Congress for partial distribution, the remaining copies to be given to literary and 

 scientific institutions and sold to individuals for a moderate price.* 



II. By the publication of separate treatises on subjects of general interest. — 1. These 

 treatises may occasionally consist of valuable memoirs translated from foreign lan- 

 guages, or of articles prepared under the direction of the Institution, or procured by 

 offering premiums for the best exposition of a given subject. 2. The treatises should, 

 in all cases, be submitted to a commission of competent judges previous to their pub- 

 lication. 3. As examples of these treatises, expositions may be obtained of the present 

 state of tlie several brajatlms of knowledge mentioned in tlie table of reports. 



Section II. 



Plan of organization, in a-ccoTtlaiice with the terms of the resolutions of the Board 

 of Regents, providing for the two modes of increasing and diffusing knowledge. 



1. The act of Congress establishing the Institution contemplated the formation of a 

 library and a museum, and the Board of Regents, including these objects in the plan 

 of organization, resolved to divide the income into two equal parts. 



2. One part to be appropriated to increase and diffuse knowledge by means of pub- 

 lications and researches, agreeably to the scheme before given. The other part to be 

 appro])riated to the formation of a lil)rary and a collection of objects of nature and 

 of art. 



3. These two plans are not incompatible with one another. 



4. To carry out the plan before described, a library will be required, consisting, 

 tirst, of a complete collection of the transactions and proceedings of all the learned 

 societies in the world; second, of the more important current periodical publications 

 and other works necessary in preparing the periodical reports. 



5. The Institution should make special collections, particularly of objects to illus- 

 trate and' verify its own publications. 



6. Also, a collection of instruments of research in all branches of experimental 

 science. 



*The following are some of the subjects which may be embraced in the reports: 



I. Physical Class.— {\) Physics, including astronomy, natural philosophy, chemistry, 

 and meteorology. (2) Natural history, including botany, zoology, geology, etc. (3) 

 Agriculture. (4) Applicarion of science to arts. 



II. Moral and Political Class.— (b) Ethnology, including particular history, com- 

 parative philology, antiquities, etc. ((5) Statistics and political economy. (7) Mental 

 and moral philosophy. (8) A survey of the political events of the world, penal re- 

 form, etc. 



III. r/iterature and the Fine Arts.~id) Modern literature. (10) The fine arts, and 

 their application to the ireful arts, (11) Bibliography, (12) Obituary notices ot 

 /iistinguished individuals. 



n. Mis. 142 7 



