m -Doc. No. 10. 



at a less charge to the fund than a commission of from two to two and a 

 half per cent, on the whole amount of it ; and that this falls below rather 

 than goes beyond what it might be expected to have been. 



I enclose the consul's account, signed T. Aspinwall, together with 

 his voucher for a charge of £6 19s. 4d. for expenses paid by him on 

 shipping the 14 Smithsonian boxes. 



The premium for insurance was one half of one per cent., and amounted, 

 with the expense of stamps and policies, to £599 3s. 4d. The statement of 

 this, as paid for me by the consul, will be seen in the enclosure, (marked 

 "Invoice,") on which are also certain items, as dock charges, charges for 

 bills of lading, and some other things, amounting in all to £,Q Os. 6d., ac- 

 companied by vouchers. I also enclose the policies of insurance.* Tiie 

 insurance covered all commissions and charges paid in London, so as 

 to haVe made the United States entirely whole in case of loss. This I 

 directed, thinking it most prudent. 



The expenses on selling the stock, viz : brokerage, charges on the trans- 

 fers, and charges for stamps, were £120 4s. 6d. These will be seen in my 

 account, marked among the enclosures R R. 



The several expenses above enumerated, viz : 



1st. The consul's commission of £797 15^. 6^., and charges £6 \9s. Ad. 



2d. The premium of insurance, stamps, and policies, viz : £599 3*. Ad., 

 with the charges £6 Os. 6d. 



And 3d. The expense of selling the stock, viz : £120 4^, 6d., deducted 

 from the gross amount of moneys that came into riiy hands, viz : 

 £106,490 lis. 9^/., will leave £104,960 S*. Id., which was the precise 

 sum in gold I brought over in the eleven boxes, and, under instructions 

 from the Secretary of the Treasury, deposited at the Mint in Philadel- 

 phia, on the 1st instant, to the credit of the Treasurer of the United States. 



The foregoing is the statement I have to make of the expenses. I pre- 

 sume to hope that they will not be thought objectionable, but, on the con- 

 trary, moderate under all the heads. If I have been somewhat minute 

 in explaining them, it is for the better understanding of the different ac- 

 counts and documents enclosed, trusting that this will be my excuse when 

 about to surrender up a trust where so much pecuniary responsibility has 

 devolved upon me. 



In regard to the 14 boxes containing the personal effects of Mr. Smith- 

 son, it will be perceived that the letter of the solicitors, of the 5th July, 

 mentions that they had sent me a list of them. They did so, and I en- 

 close it, (marked F.) It is proper to remark, that this list refers to but one 

 of the boxes, or rather to a trunk, as their letter specifies, and it proved to 

 be erroneous. I preferred that all these boxes, and the trunk, should be 

 first opened at the consulate, in presence of the consul and others, who 

 might aid me in ascertaining their contents. When the trunk was open- 

 ed, several of the articles down upon the list were not in it. I mentioned 

 this to the solicitors, and it produced the explanatory letter from them of 

 the 13th of July, which I enclose, (marked G.) All the rest of the boxes 

 were filled witli things of little intrinsic value, as far as a mere superficial 

 inspection of them, pressed upon me on the eve of my embarkation, coald 

 determine. They seemed to be chiefly old books, pamphlets, manuscripts, 



• It has been deemed unnecessary, at the Department of State, to communicate copies of the 

 several policies of insurance above referred to. 



