HISTORY- OF THE SMITHSONIAN EXCHANGES. 747 



respoiidiug publications of other governments thronghout the world, the 

 returns to be placed in the national library at Washington. The works 

 to be distributed under this law will consist of reports and proceedings 

 of Congress, messages of the President, annual reports and occasional 

 publications of departments and bureaus, &c., the whole relating to the 

 legislation, jurisprudence, foreign relations, commerce, statistics, arts, 

 manufactures, agriculture, geographj^, hydrography, &c., of the Fnited 

 States, and including everything of whatever nature published either 

 by direct order of Congress or by any of the departments of the gov- 

 ernment. The series will embrace a large number of volumes each year, 

 the most of which are bound. 



The object of the law above mentioned is to procure for the use of the 

 Congress of the United States a complete series of the publications of 

 other governments, to include the documents of special bureaus or 

 departments, as well as the general publications, of whatever nature, 

 ITrinted at the public expense, and also embracing all such works as are 

 published by booksellers with the aid of grants or subscriptions from 

 governments. The law is not retrospective, although it may cover some 

 of the publications of the last session of Congress. 



Some time will necessarily elapse before the first transmission can be 

 made, but in order to organize a plan of exchange, to be presented for 

 consideration to the Library Committee and the Librarian of Congress, 

 I beg leave to ask your advice as to the best method of accomplishing 

 the objects above stated. It is important to ascertain what govern- 

 ments are willing to enter into the proposed exchange, and whether any 

 one bureau or branch of government or public library in each country 

 will undertake to collect all the national publications, as above men- 

 tioned, and transmit them to Washington, or whether separate arrange- 

 ments must be made with more than one oflace. The former plan is con- 

 sidered preferable, as diminishing the labor involved, and may possibly 

 l)e adopted by enactment, as has been done by the United States. 

 Whatever method be most feasible, you will confer a favor by giving us 

 such information on these and other points as may serve for our guid- 

 ance in further action. 



Liformation is also desired as to the titles and character of the regu- 

 lar official publications of each country, and their average number and 

 extent in each year, as well as the names of the different bureaus and 

 officers from which they emanate. 



The Smithsonian Institution, in behalf of the Library of Congress, is 

 prepared to promise, if necessary, the delivery of the above-mentionefl 

 publications free of charge for freight. It will also name an agent in 

 each country who will receive parcels or boxes containing the exchanges 

 returned, and transmit them to Washington. 



Besides the exchange of complete series of national publications, the 

 law of Congress above stated authorizes the distribution of works on 

 special subjects to the different bureaus having them in charge, as 



