THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. ' 115 



tion of the same shall be made and recorded in a book to be provided 

 for that purpose, and signed by the said Regents, or so many of them 

 as may be convened at the time of their said organization ; and such 

 record, or a copy thereof, certified by the Chancellor and Secretary of 

 the Board of Regents, shall be received in evidence in all courts of the 

 extent and boundaries of the lands appropriated to the said Institution; 

 and upon the making of such record, such site and lands shall be deemed 

 and taken to be appropriated by force of this act to the said Institution. 



Sec. 5. And be it further enacted^ That, so soon as the Board of Re- 

 gents shall have selected the said site, they shall cause to be erected a 

 suitable building, of plain and durable materials and structure, without 

 unnecessary ornament, and of sufficient size, and with suitable rooms, 

 or halls, for the reception and arrangement, upon a liberal scale, of ob- 

 jects of natural history, including a geological and mineralogical cabi- 

 net; also a chemical laboratory, a library, a gallery of art, and the 

 necessary lecture rooms ; and the said Board shall have authority, by 

 themselves, or by a committee of three of their members, to contract 

 for the completion of such building, upon such plan as may be directed 

 by the Board of Regents, and shall take sufficient security for the build- 

 ing and finishing the same according to the said plan, and in the time 

 stipulated in such contract; and may so locate said building, if they 

 shall deem it proper, as in appearance to form a wing to the Patent 

 Oiffice building, and may so connect the same with the present hall of 

 said Patent Office building, containing the National Cabinet of Curi- 

 osities, as to constitute the said hall in whole, or in part, the deposit for 

 the cabinet of said Institution, if they deem it expedient to do so ; pro- 

 vided said building shall be located upon said Patent Office lot, in the 

 manner aforesaid: Provided, however, That the whole expense of build- 

 ing and enclosures aforesaid shall not exceed the amount of ; which 



sum is hereby appropriated, payable out of money in the treasury not 

 otherwise appropriated; together with such sum or sums out of the an- 

 nual interest accruing to the Institution, as may, in any year, remain 

 unexpended, after paying the current expenses of the Institution. And 

 duplicates of all such contracts as may be made by the said Board of 

 Regents shall be deposited with the Treasurer of the United States ; 

 and all claims on any contract made as aforesaid, shall be allowed and 

 certified by the Board of Regents, or the Executive Committee thereof^, 

 as the case may be, and, being signed by the Chancellor and Secretary 

 of the Board, shall be a sufficient voucher for settlement and payment 

 at the Treasury of the United States. And the Board of Regents shall 

 be authorized to employ such persons as they may deem necessary to 

 superintend the erection of the building and fitting up the rooms of the 

 Institution. And all laws for the protection of public property in the 

 city of Washington, shall apply to, and be in force for, the protection 

 of the lands, buildings, and other property of said Institution. And all 

 moneys recovered by, or accruing to, the Institution, shall be paid into 

 the Treasury of the United States to the credit of the Smithsonian be- 

 quest, and separately accounted for, as provided in the act approved 

 July first, eighteen hundred and thirty-six, accepting said bequest. 



Sec. 6. And he it further enacted, That, in proportion as suitable 

 arrangements can be made for their reception, all objects of art and o 



