720 HISTORY OF THE SMITHSONIAN EXCHANGES. 



At a meeting of the Board of Eegents, on the 8th of March, 1856, it 

 ■was — 



Resolved, That the Secretary, on the part of the Regents of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, return thanks to the United States iMail Steamship 

 Company, M. O. Roberts, president; Pacific Mail Steamship Company, 

 W. H. Aspinwall, president; South American Mail Steamship Company, 

 Juan Matteson, president; Mexican Gulf Steamship Company, Harris 

 & Morgan, agents ; and the Panama Railroad Company, David Hoad- 

 ley, president, for their liberality and generous offices in relation to the 

 transportation without charge of articles connected "with the operations 

 of the Institution. 



In the Secretary's report for 1867, he says : " The system has now at- 

 tained a great development and increases measurably every year. The 

 expenses hitherto have been principally borne by the Institution, but 

 their amount has now become so great as seriously to interfere with 

 other operations. - - - The expenses of the Smithsonian exchanges 

 would be considerably greater than they are, but for the liberality of 

 various transportation companies in carrying packages free of cost." 



The line of sailing vessels between New York and tbe west coast of 

 South America, belonging to Mr. Bartlett, 110 Wall street, also engaged 

 to carry all the Chilian exchanges free of charge. 



In the course of the year 1858, Hon. R. Schleiden, the minister from 

 Bremen, offered his service in trying to procure for the Smithsonian 

 Institution the advantage of free or reduced freight on exchanges for 

 the port of Bremen. His success is announced in the following letter: 



Bremen Legation, Washington, January 25, 1859. 

 Prof. Joseph Henry, „ 



Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution: 9 



Sir : Agreebly to your verbal request, I have proposed to the presi- 

 dent and directors of the North German Lloyd of Bremen to manifest 

 their interest in the cause of science by facilitating literary intercourse 

 between the United States and Germany, by means of their steamers 

 plying between Bremen and New York. 



It affords me great i>leasure now to inform you that, according to a 

 letter of the president of the Lloyd, dated the 5th instant, and just re- 

 ceived, the said Bremen Steamship Company have resolved, henceforth 

 and until further notice, to forward by their steamers all the i)ackages 

 of books and specimens of natural history which the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution may be i^leased to send to Germany, or which may be sent from 

 Germany to the Smithsonian Institution, free of charges between New 

 Y^ork and Breraerhaven. 



I beg leave to add that Messrs Gelpcke, Keutgen, and Reichelt, 84 

 Broadway, New York, are the agents of the North German Lloyd at that 

 place, and that the next Bremen steamer sailing for Europe will leave 

 New York on the 19th of February next. 



