40 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



other documents relative to the legislation, jurisprudence, statistics, 

 internal economy, technology, &c., of all nations, so as to place the 

 material at the command of the committees and members of Con- 

 gress, heads of bureaus, &c. No appropriation was made for meet- 

 ing the necessary expenses, which, of course, could not be borne by 

 the Smithsonian fund, since all the returns were to belong to the 

 Library of Congress; but as a year would necessarily elapse before 

 any documents would be ready for distribution, it was thought proper 

 to defer further action until the present season. In the mean time, 

 however, a circular was issued by the Institution with the view of 

 ascertaining what governments would enter into the proposed arrange- 

 ment, and already replies have been received from a large number, 

 all embracing the opportunity offered of procuring the national pub- 

 lications of the United States, and proffering complete series of their 

 own in return. Some of these, indeed, have already sent large pack- 

 ages of their works without awaiting further action on the part of 

 our government. Among them, one large box of books from the 

 government of Victoria, Australia, has been received and the contents 

 deposited in the Congressional Library. 



In view of the great importance of securing the foreign works 

 in question, we regret to learn that a difficulty has arisen in 

 reference to the fifty sets referred to. The Public Printer does not 

 consider himself authorized to furnish them without further legisla- 

 tion, since the distribution of the regular edition is already directed 

 by law, and he cannot supply the fifty sets in question unless the 

 regular edition be increased by that number. The attention of the 

 Library Committee has been called to this subject, and it is probable 

 that they will give it due consideration, as well as that of an appro- 

 priation to meet the necessary expenses. 



The following is a list of governments which have responded 

 favorably to the proposed international exchanges of documents, &c. : 



France, Belgium, Great Britain and Ireland, Switzerland, Spain, 

 Costa Rica, Netherlands, Chile, Denmark, Argentine Confederation, 

 United States of Colombia, Wurtemburg, Finland, Hamburg, Baden, 

 Sweden. 



At the suggestion of Hon. John Bigelow, late American minister 

 to France, a request was made by the Institution that some of the prin- 

 cipal publishers of school-books in this country would furnish copies of 

 their elementary text-books, in order that these might be presented 

 to Professor E. Laboulaye, of the College of France, for examination, 

 with a view to the application of some of theii' peculiar features to 



