REPORT ON EXCHANGES. 47 



of the Smithsonian Institution, as the Government intermediary, to 

 secure the entire fruit of the wise provision of Congress in the way of 

 fifty copies of each and every public document for exchange purposes, 

 and to this extent the system is .vet imperfect. In the absence of strict 

 compliance with the stipulation that all works published by the United 

 States — its Congress, Executive Departments, Bureaus, etc. — shall be 

 furnished for the purpose, the Institution can hardly exact from foreign 

 Governments that have entered into an international exchange alliance 

 copies of everything they, respectively, issue. 



" I would therefore ask you respectfully to consider the several enact- 

 ments upon the subject of international exchange, and that such supple- 

 mentary legislation be provided as will enable us to surmount the diffi- 

 culty referred to." 



Ill the absence of any action on the subject as requested, Professor 

 Baird, on the 18th of January, 1886, addressed himself to the Hon. 

 William J. Sewell, chairman of the Joint Library Committee of Con- 

 gress, as follows: 



" It again becomes the duty of the Smithsonian Institution, as the 

 agent for the Government exchanges under appointmentof Congressional 

 act of March 2, 1807, to suggest a review by the Library Committee of 

 the several enactments upon the subject of international exchanges, to 

 the end that such additional legislation be provided as will render the 

 Institution able to enforce strict compliance (on the part of the Public 

 Printer and the various Departments and Bureaus of the Government) 

 with the order of Congress that all icorks published bif the United States 

 of America^ rchethcr hi/ its Congress, its Ejcecutire Departments^ or its Bu- 

 reaus, and whether printed at the Public Printing Office or elseichere, be 

 furnished the Smithsonian Institution in fifty copies of each of the three 

 distinct series, as specified in the acts of March 2, 1807, and July 25, 1868, 

 and without which the Government of the United States, through the 

 Library of Congress, will fail to reap the full benefit of that complete 

 exchange which was intended and desired when the American Congress 

 first exhibited its enlightened liberality in the wise provision for an ex- 

 change of United States official publications for those of foreign na- 

 tions." 



The letter was accompanied by a memorandum specifying the various 

 enactments on international exchange, and illustrating the defects of 

 existing laws on the subject. 



No attention, however, was given by the Joint Library Committee to 

 the request for a consideration of the requirements as pointed out by 

 the Institution, and the present session of Congress drawing to a close 

 without any action having been had in relation to it, I beg to invite 

 your cooperation — as the party most interested in the results of the 

 service — by requesting you to bring the matter before the proper com- 

 mittee, for whose information and guidance, in connection with any new 

 legislation which it may deem pioi»er to suggest for the consideration 

 of Congress, I inclose herewith a brief sketch of existing laws on the 

 subject. 



In order to obtain for the international exchange the advantages de- 

 sired by Congress, the laws governing it shouhl be amended so as to 

 make it obligatory on the part of tlie Publico Printer, the Executive De- 

 partments and F>ureaus of the Government to furnish the fifty copies 

 of each and every publication made by them, of whatever class or de- 

 scription, c;dled for by the original acts of March 2, 1867, and July 25, 

 1868. 



I am, sir, etc S. P. Langley, 



Assistant Secretary. 



