THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 97 



done at a cheaper rate by contract ; these require expensive superin- 

 tendence ; and workmen, as a general rule, cannot be expected to do 

 as much for public institutions as for a private individual. Besides 

 this, much time must be lost in the interval of the publication of the 

 different articles, and when it is necessary, on account of the exhaus- 

 tion of the appropriation, to stop lor the year, this can only be done by 

 disbanding the workmen, while the interest on the cost of the apparatus 

 remains. 



"These remarks also apply to calculations and reductions of obser- 

 vations, which, in man}'- cases, can be distributed to professors in colleges, 

 who, for a small addition to their salaries, will iurnish results which-, 

 could not be procured in the Institution for many times the same sum. 



" The maxim stated in the programme, namel}', that lew individuals 

 ought to be permanently supported by the Institution, sliould be con- 

 stantly kept in view, and the greatest caution exercised in adding nevr 

 members to the permanent corps. 



" The Institution, in order to produce the greatest amount of useful 

 effect with a given expenchture of income, must be a unit in plan and a 

 unit in purpose. Each assistant must not merely have regard to the 

 advancement of his own speciality, but the good of the whole, and 

 though he may be assigned a specific duty, he should be ready and 

 wilhng, at the call ot" the Secretary, to render service in any other. 

 Without a system of government which will ensure this, not only the 

 usefulness of the Institution will be greatly abridged, but its very ex- 

 istence jeoparded." 



The committee submit to the Board the following resolutions : 



Resolved, That the seventh resolution passed by the Board of Re- 

 gents on the 26th of Januar}', 1847, requiring an equ;d division of the 

 income between the active operations and the museum and library, 

 when the buildings are completed, be and it is hereb}', repealed. 



Rcsolmd, That hereafter the annual appropriations shall be appor- 

 tioned specifically among the different objects and operations of the in- 

 stitution, in such manner as may, in the judgment of" the Regents, be 

 necessary and proper fin* each, according to its intrinsic importance, 

 and a compliance in good faith with the law. 

 Respectfullv submitted : 



.JAMES A. PEARCE, Chairman. 



Mr. Mason offered tlie following resolution whicli was adopted : 

 Rcsolfed, That the report of the Special Committee just made, be- 

 laid on the table for further consideration, and that the papers referred 

 to in the report be communicated to the Board for their examination ; 

 and that said report, and such report of a minority of the Committee a* 

 may be made in the recess of the board, be printed. 



On motion of Mr. English, the Board then adjourned, to meet on 

 Saturday, the 8th of July, at 10 o'clock a. m. 



7 



