12 EEPORT OF THE SECRETAEY. 



It was anticipated that when the wishes of the Regents were communi- 

 cated to the Ai)i)ropriations Committee of the House, the objection 

 might be raised that the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, as 

 such, was not an officer of the Government in the sense that the head 

 of an executive department is, and that this might be an obstacle to 

 the proposed transfer. 



Such objection was, in fact, made in the committee, and for this rea- 

 son the bill as reported from the House committee phaces the Museum 

 appropriation "under the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution as 

 director of the l!5^ational Museum ; " while at the same time this, with the 

 other appropriations, is subordinated to the general title "under the 

 Smithsonian Institution." 



In regard to the Bureau of Ethnology, the Secretary had already 

 represented to the Eegents his desire to see such a modification of the 

 wording as might relieve him from the personal respcmsibility imposed 

 by the language of former bills. The change actually introduced by 

 the committee consists in making the former words "under the di- 

 rection of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution " subordinate 

 to the same general title " under the Smithsonian Institution." 



Should the bill as reported pass both houses the disbursements for 

 the National Museum will hereafter be made by an officer designated 

 by the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, duly qualified and 

 bonded to the acceptance of the Secretary of the Treasury, whose of- 

 fice will be in the Smithsonian building, instead of by the disbursing 

 officer of the Di^partment of the Interior, as heretofore. 



The appropriations for " international exchanges " will also be dis- 

 bursed by the same clerk at the Institution, instead of the disbursing 

 clerk of the Treasury Department. 



This new arrangement, while adding greatly to the responsibilities 

 and cares of the officers of the Institution, will, it is believed, secure 

 good results. 



International exchanges. — The regular estimate submitted to Congress 

 was as follows: 



For expenses of the system of international exchanges between the 

 United States and foreign countries, under the direction of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, including salaries or compensation of all necessary 

 employes, $15,000. 



A revised estimate was submitted to Congress through the Secre- 

 tary of the Treasury, on May 31, 1888, asking for $27,050 for the ex- 

 changes. 



The House committee declined to recommend the proposed increase. 

 It was then laid before the Senate Committee on Appropriations and 

 an argument presented in favor of the increase, which induced the com- 

 mittee to report an amendment to the sundry civil bill increasing the 



appropriation from $15,000 to $20,000.* 



* See Congressional Record, July 21), 1888, page 7666. 



