REPORT OV THE SECRETARY. 27 



tered, the Swedish Government has established a competition 

 designed to stimulate discoveries in the service of humanity. 



As specified by the testator, the income from Dr. Nobel's 

 fortune is to be distributed annually in very consideral)le 

 rewards, say $40,000 each, to those who during the past 3'ear 

 have rendered the greatest service to the world in the domains 

 of physics, chemistry, physiolog}' and medicine, literature, 

 and in the work of fraternizing nations, reducing or suppress- 

 ing standing armies, and propagating peace congresses. 



In view of its entire approval of the testator's objects, the 

 Institution makes this mention of this subject, with which it 

 has otherwise no official connection.^ 



Santa Fe Palace. — On March 20 the governor of New 

 ^lexico approved a joint resolution of the Territorial legis- 

 lature "asking for the esta])lishment of a branch of the 

 Smithsonian Institution in the old palace at Santa Fe, N. 

 Mex." This resolution is as follows: 



[House joint resolution No. 7.] 



Whereas the building in the city of Santa Fe, known as 

 the Palace, is the oldest public building and t^e most historic 



•Alfred Nobel died at San Remo December 10, 1896. His will provided 

 that the interest on the capital bequeathed should be annually divided into 

 five equal parts to be awarded as prizes to those persons who should have 

 contributed most materially to benefit mankind during the year immedi- 

 ately preceding, as follows: One part to be given to the person having 

 made the most important discovery or invention in the science of jihysics; 

 one h). in chemistry; one do. in physi >logy or medicine; one do. for the 

 most distinguished work of an idealistic tendency in literature, and one do. 

 to the person who shall have most or best promoted the fraternity of 

 nations and the abolishment or diminution of standing armies and the 

 f(jrmation and increase of peace congresses. 



The contest of the will by the heirs at law is now over, and the statutes 

 under which the awarding of the prizes is to be made are formulated and 

 the first awards are to be made in 1902. 



Under the statutes "It is essential that every candidate for a prize mtder 

 the terms of the will be proposed as such in writing by some duly qualified 

 person. A direct a})plication for a prize will not be taken into consideration. 



"The right to hand in the name of a candidate for a prize shall belong to 



"(1) Home and foreign members of the Royal Academy of Science in 

 Stockholm. 



"(2) Members of the Nobel Committee of the Physical and Chemical 

 Sections. 



