REPOUT OF THE SECRETARY. 



To the Board of Regents : 



Gentlemen : In the discharge of my official duty as the principal ex- 

 ecutive officer of the Smithsonian Institution, I have the honor to pre- 

 sent to you a report of the operations of the establishment for another 

 year. 



It could scarcely be expected that during the existence of an in- 

 testine war, and almost in the presence of two contending armies, 

 the Institution should be able to conduct its affiiirs with the same per- 

 sistence and success as in the tranquil years of its previous history. 

 The interruptions and embarrassments, however, although frequent, 

 and in some cases perplexing, have not prevented the continuance of 

 the general operations of the Institution, or tlie prosecution of most 

 of the special objects which had previously been determined upon as 

 falling within the scope of the plan of its organization. 



At an early period of the war it was for a time proposed by the 

 government to occupy the building of the Institution as temporary 

 quarters of some of the troops which were suddenly collected in de- 

 fence of the capital. In relation to this proposition, it was repre- 

 sented to the War Department that there was no authority from the 

 Board of Regents to grant the use of the building for the purpose 

 intended, but that if the Secretary of War thought proper to take 

 possession of the premises on his own responsibility, the best arrange- 

 ments possible to secure the property from injury and at the same 

 time to accommodate the soldiers, would cheerfully be made. It was, 

 however, suggested that if an appropriation for such a purpose were 

 found to be necessary, it would be more in accordance with the spirit 

 of the Institution to employ the building as an infirmary. Fortunately, 

 there was judged to be no absolute necessity for the contemplated 

 occupation, and neither the building nor the grounds around it have 

 been occupied for military purposes. In this, as in other instances, 

 the government has evinced a considerate desire to protect the prop- 

 erty of the Institution and to foster its operations. 



It has been lately stated in a foreign journal, and the statement has 



