REPORT ON EXCHANGES. 117 



have expressed their -wish to be supplied with all the United States 

 Government publications commencing with the year 1883. 



I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your obe- 

 dient servant, 



L. S. Sackville West. 



From the Department of State, July 9, 18S3, to the Smithsonian Institution. 

 Sir : I inclose a copy of a dispatch from our minister at Brussels, and 

 a copy of the completed edition of the Proceedings of the Brussels Con- 

 ference on International Exchanges, to which it refers ; also a copy of 

 the "Note from the British Envoy" therein mentioned. 



I am, sir, your obedient servant, 

 John Davis, 

 Acting Secretary. 



(Inclosure.) — From the United States Legation at Brussels, June 21, 1883, 

 to the Secretary of State. 



Sir: Referring to my Nos. Ill and 126, I have now the honor to in- 

 close herewith six copies of a note from the British envoy to the Belgian 

 minister for foreign affairs of April 15 (sic) last, which was read at 

 the session of the conference of 13th April last. 



There is evidently a mistake as to the date of the note from the 

 British legation. 



I also send you twelve copies of the Report of the Proceedings of the 

 Conference with the British legation note. 



I strongly recommend to your notice the position of the British 

 Government concerning exchanges of publications. By defining clearly 

 and concisely what publications she is willing to exchange, and by con- 

 fining the offer to certain Governments, she assumes no great burden 

 without being sure of an equivalent return. It is a position which ap- 

 pears to me to recommend itself to the large and powerful countries, 

 and to protect them from the inequal exchanges involved by a conven- 

 tion with the smaller and less literate countries. 



In the proof copy of the proceedings (inclosure 5 to my No. 114) no 

 mention of the British note was made and it is consequently not men- 

 tioned in the translation thereof (inclosure 6 to No. 114). Should the 

 latter be published I respectfully suggest that it be revised so as to 

 make it a translation of the completed edition of the Proceedings of the 

 Conference, herewith transmitted. 



I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, 



Nicholas Fish. 



From the Department of State, September 11, 1883, to the Secretary of the 

 Smithsonian Institution. 

 Sir : I have the honor to inclose herewith for your information and 

 consideration a copy of a dispatch from Mr. Lowell, the American min- 

 ister at London, inclosing a copy of a communication from the colonial 



