SPECIAL IMEETmCx OP THE REGENTS. 



Washington, D. C, November 18, 1887. 

 A special meeting of the Board of llegents of the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution was held this day at the Institution at half i)ast 10 o'clock 



A. M. 



Present, Hon. Morrison R. Waite, Chief Justice of the United 

 States, Chancellor of the Institution; Hon. John J. Ingalls, Presi- 

 dent of the Senate of the United States ; Hon. Justin S. Morkill, Hon. 

 Shelby M. Cullom, Hon. William L. Wilson, Prof. Asa Gray, 

 Prof. Henry Coppee, Dr. James C. Welling, Gen. Montgomery 

 C. Meigs, Prof. James B. Angell. 



The Chancellor stated that the present meeting had been called in 

 accordance with the provisions of the act of Congress organizing the 

 Institution, at the request of three of the Regents which had been 

 made to the Acting Secretary in the following communication : 



Sir : At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Board of Re- 

 gents of the Smithsonian Institution, November 3, 1887, the following 

 ]>reamble and resolutions were adopted: 



Whereas, the death of Professor Baird, the honored Secretary of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, occurred at a time in the last summer when 

 from the absence of certain Regents in Europe, and from, the dispersion 

 of others in different parts of the country, it was found impracticable 

 to summon the Board of Regents in extraordinary session, that it might 

 take appro]uiate action in the premises under the immediate pressure 

 of that dei)lorable event; and 



Whereas, the time has now come when such an extraordinary meet- 

 ing is practicable, and is believed to be required alike by the proprie- 

 ties and by the possible exigencies of the situation resulting from the 

 lamented death of the late Secretary: Therefore be it 



liesolred, That the Acting Secretary of the Institution be requested 

 to call a s])ecial meeting of the Board of Regents to be held on Friday, 

 November 18, at 10:30 a. m. 



James C. Welling. 

 Henry Coppee. 

 M. C. Meigs. 



The Chancellor read the following letter from Dr. Noah Porter, one 

 of the Regents : 



Yale College, November 14, 1887. 



Dear Sir: I had made all necessary arrangements to be present at 

 the meeting of the Regents which has been called for the 18th instant, 

 when I was summoned to respond to another engagement of long stand- 

 ing, the time for which was lixed on the same day. I regret that 1 can 



XXX VII 



