The (icm'sis oj iJtc United Slnivs National Mhsciidi. 153 



direction of the Regents, the appropriation now annually inade for the preservation 

 and display of the collections. 



Although the Regents, a few years ago, declined to accept this museum as a gift, 

 yet, since experience has shown that the building will ultimately he fdled with 

 objects of natural history belonging to the general government, which, for the 

 good of science, it will be necessary to preserve, it may be a question whether, in con- 

 sideration of this fact, it would not be well to offer the use of the large room imme- 

 diately for a national museum, of which the Smithsonian Institution would be the 

 mere curator, and the expense of maintaining which should be paid by the general 

 government. The cost of keeping the museum of the Exploring Expedition, now in 

 the Patent Office, including heating, pa}^ of watchmen, etc., is about $^,<xy^i, and if 

 the plan proposed is adopted, the Institution and the Patent Office will both be 1)en- 

 efited. The burden which is now thrown on the Institution, of preserving the 

 specimens which have been collected by the different expeditions instituted by 

 government during the last ten years, will be at least in part removed, and the 

 Patent Office will acquire the occupancy of one of the largest rooms in its building 

 for the legitimate purposes of its establishment. It is believed that the benefit from 

 this plan is so obvious that no objection to it would be made in Congress, and that 

 it would meet the approbation of the public generally." 



I can find no record in the minutes of the Regents, but have been 

 informed by Mr. W. J. Rhees, of the Smithsonian Institution, that an 

 urgent request for the u.se of the hall was made by the Commissioner of 

 Patents and the Secretary of the Interior, and that the Board decided to 

 grant this request on the condition that Congress should approjoriate 

 money for the construction of the cases and the transfer of the collec- 

 tions, and that the Secretary of the Interior shotild provide for the expenses 

 of the care of the collections after their transfer in the same manner as 

 before. 



The question of the legality of the transfer of the collections was sub- 

 mitted by the Secretary of the Interior to the Attorney-General, by whom 

 it was held that the provision in the eighth section of the act of August 

 4, 1854 (10 Stats., 572), placing the collections under the control of the 

 Commissioner of Patents, and authorizing the employment by him of 

 keepers therefor, was designed to be temporary only, and that the act 

 e.stablishing the Smithsonian Institution, as well as that making the 

 appropriation in 1857, were to be regarded as indicating the purpose of 

 Congress respecting permanent provision for these collections.* 



The appropriation of 1857, referred to by the Attorney-General, was 

 one giving $15,000 for the construction of cases and $2,000 for the 

 removal of the collections. (March 3, 1857 ; 11 Stats., 219.) 



In commenting upon this action. Professor Henry, in his report for 

 1857, remarked: 



At the last session of Congress an apjoropriation was made for the construction 

 and erection of cases to receive the collections of the United States Exploring Expe- 

 dition and others in Washington, and also for the transfer and arrangement of the 



'Smithsonian Report, 1856, pp. 21, 22. 



= Letter of Hon. William E. Vilas, Secretary of the Interior, to the vSecretary of the 

 Smithsonian Institution. 



