REPORT OF ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. 5 



2. THE FOUNDATION AND SCOPE OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Foundation and legal atatns. — The National Museum was organized in 

 184G by tlie act of Couj^ress transferrinj;- to the Smithsonian Institution 

 the custody of the "National Cabinet of Curiosities," at that time de- 

 l)osited in the Patent Office building:.* These collections were, in 1857, 

 l>laced in the -Smithsonian building, the Regents of the Institution hav- 

 ing accepted the trust on condition that the necessary appropriations 

 for their maintenance should be continued by Congress. 



The act above referred to provides that "all objects of art and of 

 foreign and curious research, and all objects of natural history, i)lants, 

 and geological and mineralogical specimens belonging or hereafter to 

 belong to the United States, which may be in the city of Washington," 

 shall be delivered to the Eegents of the Smithsoniuu Institution, and 

 together with new specimens obtained by exchange, donation, or other- 

 wise, shall be so arranged and classified as best to facilitate their 

 examination and study.! 



The National Museum is the authorized place of deposit for all objects 

 of natural history, mineralogy, geology, archaeology, ethnology, &c., 

 belonging to the United States or collected by the Coast and Interior 

 Survey, the Geological Survey, or by any other parties for the Govern- 

 ment of the United States, when no longer needed for investigations in 

 progress.:!: 



Organization and government. — The establishment of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, to which, in addition to the carrying out of the other re- 

 quirements of the bequest of Smithson, is intrusted the control of the 

 National Museum, is composed of the President of the United States 

 and his Cabinet, the Commissioner of Patents, and a Board of Regents, 

 which has for its members the Vice-President and Chief Justice of the 

 Dnited States, three members of the Senate, three members of the 

 House of Representatives, and six other persons, not members of Con- 

 gress, two of whom are residents of the city of Washington.§ 



The management of the National Museum is intrusted to the Secre- 

 tary of the Smithsonian Institution, who is, ex officio, its director. He 

 is aided by a staff of assistants, who are chosen by him, and for whose 

 action he is responsible to the Eegents. The constitution of the staff is 

 constantly changing with the varying needs of the IMuseum. 



This staff is at the present time composed of an assistant director, 

 six curators' and five assistant curators, twelve honorary curators, serv- 

 ing without pay, a number of aids, acting in various capacities, a reg- 



• An AcTto establish the "Sraithsouian Institution" for the increase and difl'usiou 

 of nsofal knowledge among men. (Approved Angnst 10, 184fi; Revised Statutes, 

 title Ixxiii, sections r)r>~0-ur>d-\.) 



t Revised Statutes, section rir)6(). 



t Statutes Forty-tifth Congress, tliird session, chap. IH'2, p. ;W4. 



$ Revised Statutes, 5580, 



