fHE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 69 



REPORT OF THE BUILDING COMMITTEE. 



The Building Committee of the Smithsonian Institution beg leave to 

 pi-esent to the Board of Regents the following report of their operations 

 and expenchtures during the year 1853 : 



It will be recollected by the Regents that the first plan of the Smith- 

 sonian building contemplated finishing the interior with wood and plas- 

 ter, and that the Board subsequently adopted a resolution directing the 

 wood-work to be removed and its place to be supplied with fire-proof" 

 materials. 



In accordance with this resolution, the Buildino- Committee directed 

 plans and estimates to be made by Captain B. S. Alexander, of the 

 United States corps of Engineers. These plans were laid before the 

 Board at the last meeting, and approved; reserving, however, to the 

 Building Committee the right to make any changes which they might 

 think desirable during the progress of the work. Mr. Renwick having 

 retired from the office of Architect, Captain Alexander was a]:)pointed 

 in his place. 



It will also be recollected by the Board, that shortly before the close 

 of their last session, Mr. Gilbert Cameron, the former contractor, peti- 

 tioned the Regents to be allowed to finish the building, alleging that, if 

 he was not granted this privilege, his reputation as a builder would be 

 injured; and also affirming that he was legally entitled to be allowed to 

 complete the work, by the terms of his original contract, which the Board 

 had never declared forfeited. 



This subject was referred to the Building Committee, and legal advice 

 was asked by them in reference to it, fi-om J. M. Carlisle esq., who 

 has acted for some years as counsel to the Board of Regents. His 

 opinion was in favor of the claims of Mr. Cameron. The ques- 

 tion was also submitted to P. R. Fendall, esq.. United States dis- 

 trict attorney, who coincided in opinion with Mr. Carlisle. 



In accordance with these opinions, the committee concluded to let 

 Mr. Cameron proceed with the work on the terms which he had pre- 

 viously submitted to them, and which was within the estimate which 

 had been made by the architect. 



Some delay unavoidably took place in arriving at this decision, and 

 consequently the work was not commenced until June 13, 1853. 

 Since then, however, it has been prosecuted with great vigor, and to 

 the entire satisfiiction of the Committee. The roof lias been tem]>ora- 

 rily secured, the entire frame of wood work which occupied the inte- 

 rior removed, and a cellar excavated. A large brick sewer has been 

 constructed through the middle of the building, and carried outward 

 toward the canal, by which the cellar may be thoroughly drained and 

 all waste water discharged. The foundation walls, piers, and arches^ 

 of a spacious and commodious basement, have been completed; the 

 piers in the main story have been built, and the beams and arches of 



