46 REPORT ON EXCHANGES. 



for the exchaoge of public documents with the Government of the 

 United States. I inclose a copy of a note from Mr. Eivas, the minister 

 of foreign affairs at Lima, on the subject. 



^ ^™' ^^^•' T. F. Bayard. 



[Inclosiire.] 

 Minister of foreign relations, Lima, to Ron. T. F. Bayard, Secretary of State. 



Lima, September 13, 1886. 



Mr. Mixisteh: I have had the honor of receiving the very polite dispatch ot your 

 excellency relative to the exchange of publications between Pern and the United 

 States. 



In reply, I have the pleasure of manifesting to your excellency that my Govern- 

 ment has a lively desire to maintain the arrangement ce]el)rated in 1867 with the 

 Smithsonian Institution, having to that end authorized the director of the national 

 library to make remittances of Peruvian works with such exactness as is possible. 



My Government appreciates and esteems at its value this literary exchange between 

 two sister peoples of similar political institutions, in which is illustrated a spirit re- 

 dounding in benefits to -society. 



The library of Lima, which was destroyed by the invading army, has been re- 

 established through the generous co-operation of friendly Governments and foreign 

 scientific societies, among which the Smithsonian has distinguished its efforts superior 

 to all. 



My Government desires, in making this expression of its gratitude, that through 

 the worthy medium of your excellency it be placed in the knowledge of the Secretary 

 of that Institution, manifesting at the same time that it will not omit eflbrts to per- 

 petually comply with the arrangement to which 1 have referred. 



Reiterating with this motive to your excellencj' assurances of my most high and 

 distinguished consideration. 



M. M. RjVAS. 



DEFECTS OF THE EXCHANGE SYSTEM. 



In carrying on the operations of an international exchange of official 

 publications, the Smithsonian Institution, as the agent of the United 

 States Government, experiences two difficulties, which it has for many 

 years endeavored to overcome, without, however, fully accomplishing 

 the desired end. 



These obstacles are — 



(1) The failure to procure the fifty copies of each and every public 

 document for exchange purposes ; and 



(2) The inability to secure, by means of correspondence alone, the 

 entire fruits of the wise provision of Congress in the way of adequate 

 returns from foreign Governments for the books sent by us. 



The first point has been the subject of repeated appeal to Congress, 

 and I now beg to present the correspondence illustrating our last effort 

 in that direction : 



The /Smithsonian Institution to the Hon. A. E. iSpoford, Librarian of 



Congress. 



Washington, D. C, February 21, 1887. 

 Sir: On the 7th of March, 1884, and on October 7, 1885, the Secre- 

 tary of the Smithsonian Institution had the honor to address the Hon. 

 John Sherman, chairman of the Joint Librarj' Committee of Congress, 

 as follows : 



• "After overcoming nuiny obstacles, the Smithsonian system of ex- 

 changes has now been placed upon a most satisfactory basis, the only 

 difficulty of any magnitude yet renuiiuiug being iuability on the part 



