TJic Genesis of the United States National MiiseuDi. 131 



I^ETTER FROM COLONHI^ AUHRT TO THE COMISIISSIONKR OF PATENTS, 

 DECKMBKR 5, 1843. 



Washixgtox, Dec. j, /S./j. 



Sir : The honoral)le Secretar}' of War has referred lo the cominiltee of the 

 National liistitiite your letter of the ist iiist. 



Being uninformed by any law or regulation of the existence of a " National Gal- 

 lery " or of any other collection under your care than the Models of the Patent 

 Office, you will pardon nie if I do not fidly ap]>reciate the views or reasoning of 

 your letter. 



At one period, by order of the Executive, the upper room of the Patent Office 

 was made the place of deposit for the effects of the " National Institute," a society 

 known to our laws and regularly chartered by Congress. This room thus became 

 the Hall of the Institute. In this room the Institute has deposited the collections 

 from the exploring squadron, and those from all other sources which were placed 

 under its care by order of the Executive. But from a suj^posed necessity, Congress 

 vested the care of the deposit from the exploring squadron for the purpose of pre- 

 paring an account of it, in such person as the Joint Library Committee should 

 appoint. This committee appointed Capt. Wilkes, of the Navy, for that purpose, 

 who is now exercising the functions of his office, and who may with propriety be 

 considered as in the regular official possession of the room. 



In all this one sees nothing of the Patent Office or of any "National Galler}-" or 

 of any charge direct or indirect of the Patent Office over the deposits referred to. 

 If therefore by "National Gallery" is intended to designate the room in which are 

 now placed the deposits of the Institute and of the exploring squadron, it is not a 

 room over which the head of the Patent Office can exercise control. 



By a law of the 20th July, 1S40, the Secretaries of the War and Navy Departments 

 were placed in charge of the specimens of Natural History, received and to be 

 received by them, and funds were appropriated for their ^^reservation. These officers 

 have deposited such articles as were then in their possession, and such as have since 

 been received in the care of the National Institute, as that law and the practice 

 under it are consitlercd as prescribing the course on these subjects, and in the 2d 

 section of the law of July 27, iS.p, all these deposits and the principle upon which 

 they were made were confirmed and legalized. When therefore the coj^per rock 

 arrived, to which your letter refers, the honorable Secretary of War, in conformity 

 of law and usage, placed it under the care of the National Institute. 



As it was undenstood to be rather an inconvenience to Capt. Wilkes from the 

 want of space to receive any more articles of the Institute in the Hall under his care, 

 and as the Institute has at present no Curator there, tho.se boxes and articles which 

 have come to hand within the last few months have been temporarily deposited 

 elsewhere, and among others the copper rock. The Committee of the Institute which 

 received this rock had it deposited in the War Office yard, where it is accessible 

 without impediment to all who are disposed to examine it, and where it is mider the 

 efficient protection of the guard of the War and Navy Department buildings. 

 Very respectfully, your obt. svt., 



J. J. AiiKRT, 

 C/i. Com. \i!/. lust. 



II. L. Eu-SWORTH, Ivscp-., 



Coinuir. 0/ J'ali-n/s, IVas/iiii^iou. 



