REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



105 



The total number of correspoudeuts is now 10,97:?, classified as follows: 



Foreign societies 4, 194 



Domestic societies 1, 070 



Foreign individuals 4, 15;? 



Domestic individuals 1, 550 



Total 10,97:5 



GRAND DUCHY OF BADEN. 



The Grand Duchy of Baden was one of the governments which were the first to 

 accede to the proposition for international exchanges conveyed l)y Professor Henry's 

 circular letter dated May 16, 1807, and two cases wereshippe<l to Karlsruhe through 

 the Smithsonian agent at Leipzig, on the 13th of June, 187:5. After that time ex- 

 changes with Baden were discontinued until the visit of Mr. George H. Boehmer, 

 special agent of the Exchange Otitice and of the National Library, to Europe in 1884. 

 Mr. Boehmer succeeded in procuring from the Government of the Grand Duchy a set 

 of the statutes (Official Gazette) from 1803 to 1885, and the proceedings of the Diet 

 since 1849. Continuation s of these series were shipped by the Government of Baden in 

 August, 1887, and in February, 1888, Baden was again added to the list of governments 

 rectiiving official international exchanges. Twenty-four boxes were sent thither ou 

 the 29th of February, 1888, and thi'ce shipments have been made since that time. 



The number of Governments now taking part with the United States in these of- 

 ficial exchanges is 41, as follows : 



Argentine Republic, England, Prussia, 



Austria, Greece, Queensland^ 



Baden, Hayti, Russia, 



Bavaria, Holland, Saxony, 



Belgium, Hungary, South Australia, 



Buenos Ayres, India, Spain, 



Brazil, Italy, Sweden, 



Canada (Ottawa), Japan, Switzerland, 



Canada (Toronto), Mexico, Tasmania, 



Chili, - New South Wales, Turkey, 



Colombia, United States of, New Zealand, Venezuela, 



Denmark, Norway, Victoria, 



France, Peru, Wurtemberg. 



North German Empire, Portugal, 



It will be observed that several of these Governments are provincial or subordinate 

 members of an empire, kingdom, or republic. 



Of this number only seven, to wit, Belgium, Brazil, Italy, Portugal, Servia, Spain, 

 and Switzerland, have acceded to the first of the two conventions, based upon a con- 

 ference of representatives of ditfereut Governments at Brussels in 188G, and now pend- 

 ing before the Senate of the United States. * 



The first of the two conventions relates to the " International Exchange of official 

 documents and scientific j)ublications ; " the second, to the "inmiediate exchange i>f 

 tliC/ daily official journals" of legislative assemblies. 



To this second convention only six nations besides the United States have acceded, 

 Switzerland withdrawing. 



These conventions have been lirought about mainly tlu'ough the active iuterest of 

 the Governmeutof Belgium in the success and extension of the interuationalexchauge 

 system. The history of the present agreements is of some interest in this connection, 

 and has been set forth at length by Mr. George H. Boehmer in previous reports (see 



* These CDUventioiis have been ratified by the Presiilent since the end of the fiscal 

 year, but final ratifications have not yet been exchanged by the rei>resentatives of 

 the contracting powers. 



