716 HISTORY OF THE SMITHSONIAN EXCHANGES. 



Tvartls (listrihuted by the agent of the Institution, or by those of the 

 society. 



" This system of exchanges does not stop here. The Eoyal Society 

 has adopted the same i)lan with reference to Great Britain and all other 

 parts of the world; and the Smithsonian Institution, in turn, becomes 

 an agent in receiving and distributing all packages which tlie society 

 desires to send to this country. A general sj^stem of international com- 

 munication, first started by this Institution for the distribution of its 

 own publications, has thus been established which will tend to render 

 the results of the labors of each country in the line of literature and 

 science common to all, and to produce a community of interest and of 

 relations of the highest imi)ortance to the advancement of knowledge 

 and of kindly feeling among men." 



So rapidly and generally was the beneficent work of the Smithsonian 

 Institution recognized and appreciated abroad, tbat in his report for the 

 year 1854 the secretary — Professor Henry — announced: "There is no 

 port to which the Smithsonian parcels are shipped wliere duties are 

 charged on them, a certified invoice of contents by the secretary being 

 sufficient to pass them through the custom-house free of duty. On the 

 other hand, all packages addressed to the Institution arriving at the 

 ports of the United States, are admitted, without detention, duty free. 

 This system of exchange is therefore the most extensive and efticient 

 which has ever been established in any country." And in the following 

 year, 1855, the secretary remarked in continuation of the subject: "The 

 Smithsonian agency is not confined to the transmission of works from 

 the United States, but is extended to those from Canada, South and 

 Central America, and in its foreign relations embraces every part of the 

 civilized world. It is a ground of just congratulations to the Eegents 

 that the Institution, bj" means of this part of the plan of its organization, 

 is able to do so much towards the advance of knowledge." 



The system of international exchange of literary and scientific produc- 

 tions thus established, naturally developed into two distinct branches: 



The foreign exchange, or the distribution abroad of publications by 

 the Smithsonian and by other American institutions. 



The domestic exchange, or the distribution within the United States 

 of publications bj^ foreign establishments. 



To this might be added, as a third branch, the introduction in 18G7 

 of a separate system of government exchange. 



I. Foreign Exchanges. 



The Smithsonian Institution, in undertaking to extend the system 

 of international exchange of literary and scientific publications, com- 

 municated its purpose to the chief learned societies throughout the 

 country, with a profier of its services to the end in view. The priuci- 



