HISTORY OF THE SMITHSONIAN EXCHANGES. 707 



[From Gnlian C. Verplanck, New York, December 3, 1839.] 



"The liigli and numerous attestations given to your plan of literary 

 and scientific exchanges by the most eminent scholars and public men of 

 Europe, and the eloquent manner in which several of them have stated 

 its philanthropic objects and beneficial results, leave me little to say on 

 those heads. - - - I admu'e the zeal and devotion with which you 

 have apx)lied yourself to the execution of this uniiretending but bene- 

 ficial plan." 



[From Washington Irving, Albany, N. Y., May 7, 1840.] 



" I regret extremely that engagements which require my departure 

 for jSTew York will prevent my having the pleasure of attending at the 

 meeting to be held this evening for the consideration of your plan for a 

 system of exchanges between governments and learned institutions, 

 throughout the civilized world, of duplicate specimens in natural history 

 and productions in literature. It is a noble and magnanimous scheme, 

 worthy of the civilization of the age, and the advantages of which are 

 so obvious and striking that they must strike every intelligent mind at 

 a single glance." 



[From Joel R. Poinsett, Secretary of War, Washington, December 18, 1839.] 



" I regard the subject of your memorial as highly interesting, useful, 

 and imi)ortant, and it will command my warm support." 



In accordance with the recommendation of Mr. Preston's committee, 

 the following act was passed by Congress July 20, 1840 (Vol. V, Statutes 

 at Large, p. 509) : 



Joint Resolution for the exchange of books and public documents for foreign publi- 

 cations. 



Be it resolved hy the Senate and House of Representatives of the Unittd 

 States of America in Congress assembled, That the Librarian, under the 

 supervision of the Committee on the Library, be authorized to exchange 

 such duplicates as may be in the Library for other books or works. 



Second. That he be authorized in the same way to exchange docu- 

 ments. 



Third. That hereafter fiftj' additional copies of the documents i)rinted 

 by order of either House be printed and bound for the pui'pose of ex- 

 change in foreign countries. 



Mr. Vattemare also visited Canada in 1841, and his mission was 

 equally successful there. In the summer of 1841 he returned to France 

 and immediately presented a third petition to the Chambers, referring 

 to his success in America. The report of the Count of Montesquiou to 

 the Chamber of Peers was sent back to the ministry of foreign aftairs 

 and public instruction, but no more was heard from it. 



^ow, however, jMr. Vattemare commenced the distribution of the ob- 

 jects intrusted to him for exchange. Some had their destination as- 

 signed them, but the distribittion of the greater number was left to Mr. 



