The Genesis of the United States National Museum. 157 



NOTE A. 



January i, 1842. 

 To the Honorable J. C. SpEncer and 

 The Honorable A. P. Upshur. 



Gentlemen : The undersigned, a committee on behalf of the National Institution 

 for the promotion of science, have the honor to submit to your consideration the 

 following facts and remarks. 



In a law of the 20th July, 1841, there is a provision in these words : " For the pur- 

 pose of enabling the Secretaries of the War and Navy Departments to place in a state 

 of safe preservation the specimens of natural history which are now deposited in 

 their respective offices, or which may be brought there resulting from surveys of the 

 unexplored regions of our own country, or from the exploring expedition now in 

 the South Seas, by the authority and at the expense of the United States or other- 

 wise, a sum not to exceed five hundred dollars." 



And in a law of March 3, 1841, there is another appropriation "for defraying the 

 expense of transporting to the City of Washington and of arranging the collections 

 made by the Exploring expedition, five thousand dollars." 



These laws are considered as having determined the principles which should 

 govern in such cases. 



First, that the expenditures should be made imder the direction of the Secretaries 

 of the AVar and the Navy Departments, and 



Second, that the collections should be brought to Washington and be arranged 

 there. 



In the discharge of these duties, the vSecretaries of the two Departments named, 

 directed the collections referred to, to be delivered to the care of the National Insti- 

 tution, for the purpose of being arranged under its supervision. 



On these accounts, as well as because of your position of Directors of the Institu- 

 tion, we have now the honor of addressing you. 



The first appropriation of I500 was expended under the personal superintendence 

 of the Secretary of War, he approving all accounts. The second, under that of the 

 Secretary of the Navy. But in the course of the business this duty assumed the 

 following form: 



The society appointed a committee to supervise the arranging of the collections. 

 It was the duty of this committee to suggest the expenditures and employments 

 which it considered necessary, to examine into the accounts, and if it found the 

 same to be correct, to recommend them to the approval of the Secretary. Under 

 this system the appropriations have been expended, and the Institution is now with- 

 out further means. 



It is proper to remark that the entire collections of the Institution, as well in books 

 as in specimens of natural history and of the arts, and as well those deposited by 

 the Government, as those given by individuals and other Institutions and from for- 

 eign governments, will in the end belong to the United States, there being a pro- 

 vision to that effect in the constitution of the Institution. The whole can, therefore, 

 with propriety be considered as public propert)'. 



With this brief exposition we shall now lay before you the state of the affairs of 

 the Institution in reference to the collections, deposits, gifts, and expenditures. 



The entire collection is deposited in the upper rooms of the Patent Office; it con- 

 sists of — 



Donations from foreign governments. 



Donations from other institutions, foreign and domestic. 



Donations from ministers and consuls abroad, and from officers of our army and 

 navy. 



