IS REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



The geographical distribution is— 



INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE OF OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS, ETC. 



The convention between the United States of America, Belgium, Brazil, Italy, 

 Portugal, Servia, Spain, and Switzerland for the international exchange of official 

 documents and scientific and literary publications, as well as the convention between 

 the same countries (excepting Switzerland), for the "immediate exchange of the offi- 

 cial journals, parliamentary annals and documents," was ratified by the President of 

 the United States on Jnly 19, 1888, but final ratifications were not exchanged by the 

 representatives of the contracting powers until January 14, 1889. The convention 

 was proclaimed on January 25, the day following, and since that date formal notifi- 

 cation has been received of the adhesion to both conventions of the Government of 

 Uruguay. The full text of these conventions was given in the Curator's report for 

 last year. 



The adhesion of the United States to the first of the.se conventions involves no new 

 departure in the exchange service from the methods of previous years; bnt for the 

 fulfillment of the obligations incurred by the second convention — the immediate ex- 

 change of official journals— an appropriation of about $2,000 to cover the necessary 

 ]tostage and additional clerical assistance is required, and provision should be made 

 for the prompt delivery to the exchange office of the documents referred to. 



This sum of $2,000 was estimated in reply to an inquiry made by the Secretary of 

 State, dated February 12, 1889, as to the ability of the Smithsonian Institution to 

 execute all of the provisions of the two conventions without further legislation by 

 Congress, and the estimate was duly submitted by the Secretary of State in a letter 

 to the President of the Senate, but no appropriation was made. 



While the United States is thus bound by formal agreement to an exchange of it's 

 official publications with bnt eight countries, a full set of all publications received 

 from the Government Printer is transmitted to forty-one countries upon the basis of 

 mutual agreement. 



Acomplctclistof the official depositories for publications sent abroad during thi 

 fiscal year, in accordance with the act of Congress of July 25, 18()8,with a statement 

 of the number of packages sent and received from each of the countries repre- 

 sented, is contained in the annexed table: 



