58 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 



the contracting countries a bureau for the special transmission of the puhlications of 

 its Goveriiuient, the transactions of its learned societies, etc., to foreign governments 

 and individuals, and for the receipt from the similar bureaus of other countries of 

 the publications of their government and ecientilic and literary societies. This in- 

 volves, as will be seen but little or no uiodilication of the present long-established 

 Smithsonian Institution exchange system, and it is hoped that the oflicial recognition 

 of the value of such a service by so many governments will result in extending the 

 scheme that has been in operation here for the past forty years, the expense of which 

 has been borne largely by the funds of James Smithson. 



In accordance with a provision made in the Brussels Convention the Governments 

 of the Argentine Repuijlic and of Paraguay have signified their adhesion to the con- 

 vention, the former on September 3, 1889, and the latter on December 10, 1889. 

 The countries therefore included in the international agreement are: — The United 

 States of America, the Argentine Republic, Belgium, Brazil, Italy, Paraguay, Portu- 

 gal, Servia, Spain, Switzerland, Uruguay. 



While neither England nor Germany appear in the above list, both of these countries 

 have addressed inquiries to this iustitntion through diplomatic channels with regard 

 to exchanges with our Government, and it is most gratifying to report that the Brit- 

 ish Government, through Her Majesty's Stationery Ofiice, has presented to the Govern- 

 ment of the United States, for deposit in the Library of Congress, an important col- 

 lection of the publications of the parliamentary and executive offices from the years 

 1882 to 1889, constituting a most valuable series of documents and forming a])artial 

 return for the series of publications issued by our own Government since 18G8 and 

 sent regularly to the British Museum. Moreover we have the assurance that this 

 valuable series will be continued in annual shipments. 



The Government of Germany has also expressed its appreciation of the international 

 exchange service in such a way as to lead us to expect that it will in due time make 

 fitting acknowledgment of the series of United States Government publications pre- 

 sented to the Royal Public Library, and to the Library of the Imperial German Par- 

 liament at Berlin. 



A second convention made at Brussels, and also proclaimed by the President on the 

 15th of January, 1889, provided for the immediate exchange of Parliamentary journals 

 and the like, but it had not at the close of the fiscal year been set in satisfactory 

 operation. An effort was made by a letter addressed to the Department of State on 

 December 12, 1889, to carry out the stipulations of this treaty as far as the United 

 States Government was concerned, and upon the recommendation of the Secretary of 

 State a joint resolution appropriating $2,000 for the purpose was p.issed by the Sen- 

 ate on January 22, 1890, but it has not yet been acted upon by the House. 



EFFICIENCY OF THE SERVICE. 



An inspection of the tables presented at the beginning of this report bears suf- 

 ficient evidence that the Bureau has not decreased in efficiency during the past year, 

 especially when it is considered that the increased number (6,006) of packages was 

 handled and accountetl for with a decrease in the clerical force during eleven months. 

 At the close of the year there were but 321 packages on hand and the record work 

 was tolerably well up to date. 



