22 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



In December, 1889, the annual meeting of the Association took place 

 in Washington, the morning session beiug helil in the lecture hall of 

 the National Museum and the evening session in the Columbian Univer- 

 ity. The proceedings of this meeting are printed in the annual report 

 of the association, which, in accordance with the provisions cited above, 

 was submitted to me on January 14, 1890, and on June 18 was commu- 

 nicated to Congress and ordered to be printed as Senate Miscellaneous 

 Document No. 170. This report included, in addition to the proceed- 

 ings of the annual meeting, a number of historical papers of a high 

 order. 



The provision by which the Begents are authorized to permit the 

 deposit of the collections, manuscripts, books, pamphlets, and other 

 historical material of the Association, has been met as well as our pres- 

 ent accommodations will admit, and in making an estimate for repairs 

 to the Smithsonian buildings arrangements were made for a suitable 

 and safe place in which such valuable records might be stored. 



Bureau of fine arts. — The desirability of having in connection with 

 the Government a suitable depository of works of art has presented 

 itself so forcibly to Members of Congress, and without suggestion on 

 thepartof the Regents, that a bill was introduced in the Senate by the 

 Hon. Wilkinson Call, on December 4, 1889, providing for the establish- 

 ment of a bureau of line arts in the Smithsonian Institution, This was 

 referred to the Committee on the Library, but has not been reported. 



The wording of the bill is as follows: 



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 

 States of America in Congress assembled, That there be, and is hereby, 

 created in the Smithsonian Institution a bureau called the Bureau 

 of the Fine Arts, the management of which is entrusted to the Sec- 

 retary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



Sec. 2. That the purpose and duties of this bureau shall be to aid 

 in the development of the tine arts in the several States and Territories 

 of the United States, by the re-production, for the use of art schools and 

 academies, of casts of statuary and other objects used in giving instruc- 

 tion in art; by preparing and distributing plans for the construction of 

 buildings and the adaptation of rooms suitable for use as art schools, 

 with printed plans for the organization of various grades of art acad- 

 emies and classes; by causing to be held annually in Washington, Dis- 

 trict of Columbia, a public exhibition of works of art, open to all desir- 

 ing to exhibit, in which the fairest jjossible oi)portuuity for exposition 

 shall be atiorded all contributors; and by the publication of an annual 

 register containing an account of new discoveries, inventions and meth- 

 ods of instruction useful to students of art, together with a report of 

 the progress of the fine arts in the United States. 



Sec. 3. That the re-productions and publications of the bureau shall 

 be distributed among institutions of art, under such regulations as the 

 Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution may establish. 



Sec. 4. That the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution shall pro- 

 vide suitable quarters for the holding of the annual art exhibition. 



Sec. 5. That for the purpose of carrying on the operations of this 

 bureau there be and is hereby appropriated^ for the fiscal year begin- 



