92 S. Mis. 53. 



Washington January 22, 1853. 



The Board of Regents met this day at 11 o'clock a. m. Present: 

 Messrs. Charlton, Colcock, Maury, Meacham, Pearce, Rush, Totten ; 

 Mr. Seaton, treasurer ; and Washington Irving, honorary member. 



In the absence of the Chancellor, and on motion of Mr. Rush, Mr. 

 Pearce took the chair. 



The proceedings of the previous meeting were read and approved. 



The Building Committee submitted their report, which was read 

 and adopted. 



The Secretary presented the report and final decision of James 

 Renwick, Jr., which was read, and, on motion of General Totten, 

 referred to the Building Committee. 



The plans for finishing the central building, by Captain B. S. Alex- 

 ander, corps of Engineers U. S., were presented and examined. 



On motion of General Totten, the following resolutions were adopted : 



Resolved, That the plans for finishing the interior of the centre 

 building presented by Captain B. S. Alexander, corps Engineers U. S., 

 be adopted by the Board of Regents, reserving the right, in behalf 

 of the Building Committee, of altering the details thereof to such an 

 extent as may seem to them proper as the work proceeds. 



Resolved, That Captain Alexander be requested to give to the gene- 

 ral supervision of the execution of his plan such time as his public 

 duties will permit, and that he be compensated therefor to such amount 

 as to the Building Committee shall seem just and proper. 



The treasurer presented the details of the expenditures ; which 

 was, on motion, referred to the Executive Committee. 



The Secretary presented his report of the operations of the Insti- 

 tution for the past year; which was, in part, read. 



The Board then adjourned to Friday evening next, 28th instant, at 

 7^ o'clock. 



Washington, January 28, 1853. 



The Board of Regents met this evening at 8 o'clock in the Regents' 

 room. Present: Messrs. Bache, Charlton, Colcock, Mason, Meacham, 

 and Totten, of the Board, and Washington Irving, honorary member. 



In the absence of the Chancellor, and on motion of Mr. Rush, Mr. 

 Mason took the chair. 



The Secretary announced to the Board that Professor A. D. Bache, 

 of Washington, had been re-elected, by a joint resolution of the two 

 houses of Congress, a Regent for six years ; and also that the Hon. 

 John Macpherson Berrien, of Georgia, had been elected a Regent for 

 the same term. Mr. Bache being present, took his seat in the Board. 



The proceedings of the last meeting were read and approved. 



The Secretary made a statement relative to the expedition under the 

 direction of Dr. E. K. Kane, U. S. Navy, and his want of instruments 

 for magnetic observations in the Arctic seas, referring at the same time 

 to the expedition to Chih, of Lieut. Gilhss, U. S. Navy, to whom a 

 timely and highly useful grant had been made by the Board, under 

 similar circumstances, and which had been reimbursed to the Institution. 



