HISTORY OF THE SMITHSONIAN EXCHANGES. 770 



copies of a letter of February 23, 187G, from Baron de VatteTille, presi- 

 dent of tlie Commission of International Exchanges at Paris, and a plan 

 adopted by the commission, -wbicli it is proposed to submit to the con- 

 tracting powers. 



The department would be pleased to be favored with the views of 

 the Academy of Sciences upon this subject, and any recommendations 

 it may see fit to make. 



I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, 



B. H. Bkistow, 



Secretary. 



Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C, May 4, 187G. 

 Hon. B. H. Bbistow, 



Secretary of Treasury : 



Sir : Tour letter of the 2d instant, relative to the establishment of 

 an international bureau for the exchange of works of science, &c., with 

 the accompanying documents, has been received, and in behalf of the 

 National Academy of Sciences, and also of this Institution, I respect- 

 fully submit the following as an answer. 



From the earliest period of the establishment of scientific societies in 

 America, it has been customary to exchange their publications for those 

 of similar institutions in all parts of the world. 



About thirty years ago, as stated by Dr. Johnston, Alex. Yattemare 

 attempted to establish a system of international literary and scientific 

 exchange between France and the United States, and succeeded in in- 

 t<?resting in his project several of the States of the Union. The enter- 

 prise, however, was an individual one, and fell into disuse i)rincipally 

 on account of want of adequate means for carrying it on. 



In 1846 the Smithsonian Institution was organized by the bequest of 

 an English gentleman for the "increase and diffusion of knowledge 

 among men." To realize the ideas of the founder it was resolved by the 

 directors of the establishment to institute various scientific investiga- 

 tions, and to send a copy of the published result'; of these to each of the 

 principal libraries of the world. To carry out this idea it was necessary 

 to appoint paid agents in various parts of the Old World through whom 

 the publications of the Institution might be distributed, and those of 

 foreign institutions received in return. This system was soon after- 

 wards extended so as to include the publications of all the learned so- 

 cieties of the United States, Canada, and South America, with those of 

 the Old World. This has now been successfully carried on for upwards 

 of a quarter of a century, and has been so enlarged as to embrace the in- 

 stitutions of almost every part of the civibaed world, as exhibited in the 

 following table.* 



The exi^ense of this system of exchange, which has enriched all the 



* This table is omitted, as not here important. 



