REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 11 



terior Department acts asthedisbnrsino-otlicer f'oi- the Sinithsoiiiaii, ami 

 a clerk has been assi.nned, as 1 am inlbrniedjby the iSinithsonian toiliUy 

 in the Interior Department to assist, the disbursinf;' otlicer, 



Obvionsly there is nothing in the rehitions between tlie Smitlisonian 

 and the Interior Department to reqnire the continnance of this state of 

 things. The National Musenm enjoys now an aminal a[)propriation of 

 a large amonnt in the varh)ns items, not usnally less than $ir)(),()00. In 

 the last act the appropriation was of $12,000 for heating, lighting, elec- 

 trical, and telephonic service; of $11(5,000 for the i)reservation, exhibi- 

 tion, and increase of the collections; and of $10,000 for cases, fnrnitnre, 

 fixtnres, and ai)|)liances ; both of the latter items embracing salaries. 

 These items indicate not only the considerable proportions which the 

 Musenm has attained, but that their disbursement should be in the 

 hands of those who have the government ot the Museum and a direct 

 responsibility exacted. 



So far, then, from there api)earing to be objection, the fiicts suggest 

 to my n)ind the wisdom and desirability of providing for the National 

 Museum directly, and imposing responsibility for the disbursement of 

 the appropriation immediately upon the ofticersof that Institution, and 

 with accountability to the Treasury, as in other cases. 



The act of July 7, 1881 (2.) Stats., 211), was a step in the direction 

 of this independency of recjuiring the director of the National Museum 

 to report annually to Congress the progress of the Museum during the 

 year and its i)resent condition. 



The papers you kindly loaned me are herewith returned. 

 I have the honor to be, very i-espectfully, 



Wm. F. Vilas, 



Secretary. 

 Prof. S. P. Langley, 



Secretary of the SmithHonian Institution. 



DEPART3IENT OE THE INTERIOR, 



]Vas/iinyfon, Fehniary 20, 1888. 

 Sir: Eeplying to your favor of the 10th instant, I beg to say that it 

 seems to me that so long as Congress has made tlie ai)i)ropriation for 

 the current year " under the Interior Department" in terms, it is neces- 

 sary that it should be expended according to the practice hitherto 

 ])revailing; and that, if the same terms of a])i)ropriation should be 

 continued, it would be with the expectation that tl«e lixed practice of 

 disbursement would continue also. It is therefore ])robably necessary 

 that the language of the ap])r()])riation should be changed in order to 

 effect the object desired. It may be presumed the accounting ofticers 

 of the Treasury would require it. 



The same observations may be ai)i)li(Ml to the api)ropriation for print- 

 ing. I thiidc it desirable that that should be sepai-ately made, so that 

 the Smithsonian Institution should be independent, in its use of the 

 l)rovisions made by (longress, of this Department, and this Department 

 freed of care in respect to it., 

 Yours, respectfully, 



Wm. F. Vilas, 



Secretarij. 

 Prof. S. P. Langley, 



Secretary of the i^mitJisonian Lintitution. 



