6 



DETAILS OF THE PLAN TO LVCREASE KNOWLEDGE. 



I. By stimulating researches. 



1 . Rewards, consisting of money, medals, &c., offered for original me- 

 moirs on all branches of knowledge. 



2. The memoirs thus obtained to be published in a series of volumes, in 

 a quarto form, and entitled '^Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge." 



3. No memoir, on subjects of physical science, to be acccepted for pub- 

 lication, which does not furnish a positive addition to human knovvledge 

 resting on original research j and all unverified speculations to be rejected. 



4. Each memoir presented to the institution to be submitted for exami- 

 nation to a commission of persons of reputation for learning in the branch 

 to which the memoir pertains, and to be accepted for publication only in 

 case the report of this commission is favorable. 



5. The commission to be chosen by the officers of the institution, and 

 the name of the author, as far as practicable, concealed, unless a favorable 

 decision be made. 



6. The volumes of the memoirs to be exchanged for the Transactions of 

 literary and scientific societies, and copies to be given to all the colleges 

 and principal libraries in this country. One part of the remaining copies 

 may be offered for sale; and the other carefully preserved, to form complete 

 sets of the volumes, to supply the demand from new institutions. 



7. An abstract, or popular account, of the contents of these memoirs to be 

 given to the public through the annual report of the Regents to Congress. 



II. By appropriating a portion of the income^ annually^ to special objects 

 of research, under the direction of suitable persons. 



1. The objects, and the amount appropriated, to be recommended by 

 counsellors of the institution. 



2. Appropriations in different years to different objects; so that in course 

 of time, each branch of knowledge may receive a share. 



3. The results obtained from these appropriations to be published, with 

 the momoirs before mentioned, in the volumes of the Smithsonian Contri- 

 butions to Knowledge, 



4. Examples of objects for which appropriations may be made. 



(1.) System of extended meteorological observations, for solving the 

 problem of American storms. 



(2.) Explorations in descriptive natural history, and geological, magnet- 

 ical, and topographical surveys, to collect materials for the formation of a 

 Physical Atlas of the United States. 



(3.) Solution of experimental problems, such as a new determination of 

 the weight of the earth, of the velocity of electricity, and of light j chemical 



