294 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



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

 foreign and curious research, and all objects of natural history, plants, 

 and geologicvii and mineralogical specimens belonging, or hereafter to 

 belong, to the United States, which may be in the city of Washington, 

 in whosesoever custody the same may be, shall be delivered to such 

 persons as may be authorized by the Board of Regents to receive them, 

 and shall be arranged, in such order and so classed as best to facilitate 

 the examination and study of them, in the building so as aforesaid to 

 be erected for the Institution." 



Considering the section relating to buildings mandatory, and under 

 the belief that the collections belonging to the Grovernment must be 

 accepted and housed, the Board of Regents of the newly established 

 Institution proceeded at once with the erection of a large brown stone 

 structure. 



For various reasons the building was many years in construction, 

 and during this period the first secretary, Joseph Henry, became more 

 and more pronounced in his opinion that the Government collections 

 should not be cared for at the expense of the Smithsonian fund. Indeed, 

 he was in doubt whether the Institution ought to form extensive miscel- 

 laneous collections to be maintained permanently at the expense of its 

 funds, although he fully appreciated the value of collections, and, as 

 will presently appear, labored to carry out the programme adopted 

 for the Institution by ac<iuiring and caring for such special collections 

 as could be made the dire(;t means of increasing and diffusing knowl- 

 edge. In the report for 1850 he remarked : 



It would not be in accordance with the spirit of the organization to expend the 

 income in the reproduction of collections of objects which are to be found in every 

 museum of the country. Natural history can be much more effectively promoted 

 by special collections of new objects, by appropriations for original explorations 

 and researches, and, above all, by assistance in the preparation of the necessary 

 drawings, and by presenting to the world, in a proper form, the labors of naturalists. 

 In conformitj' with these views it has been resolved to confine the collections prin- 

 cipally to objects of a special character, or to such as may lead to the discovery of 

 new truths, or which may serve to verify or disprove existing or proposed scientific 

 generalizations. ' 



Again, in the report for 1851, perhaps thinking that his position 

 regarding museums might be misunderstood, he wrote: 



I would distinctly disavow the intention of underrating the importance of collec- 

 tions in themselves. On the contrary, it ought to be the duty of the Smithsonian 

 Institution to point out the means by which they may be made, and to aid in the 

 work to the extent of its ability by embracing all opportunities which may offer for 

 procuring specimens for distribution and by facilitating exchange and assisting 

 explorations. - 



In the same connection he expressed his views regarding the impor- 

 tance of a National Museum in the following words: 



Though the formation of a general collection is neither within the means nor the 

 province of the Institution, it is an object which ought to engage the attention of 



1 Smithsonian Report, 1850, page 21 (reprinted in report for 1853, page 202). 

 ^Ibid., 1851, page 21 (reprinted in report for 1853, page 227), 



