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Stairways, ventilators, and detached rooms; and are of difierent heights, 

 varying from sixty to one hundred and fifty feet, 



" The first story of the central building will be occupied by the hbrar)'-, 

 the chief lecture-room, and the principal hall; the second stoiy by the 

 museum. The laboratory and chemical lecture-room will occupy the east 

 wing; the gallery of art the western wing and western connecting range. 

 The chosen material is a freestone of a lilac-gray color, drawn from a 

 quarry on the banks of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, near Seneca creek, 

 and twenty three miles from this spot, 



" It is gratifying to me to be able to accompany this imperfect sketch 

 with the statement, that the entire pile is to be finished, and furnished, and 

 fitted up, for a sum less, by thirty-seven thousand dollars, than the one 

 set apart by Congress as applicable to the building alone. 



" Hov/ best to put this Smithsonian Institution, in progress; to give it 

 definite character and views; to shape its line of march as Congress has 

 either ordered or intimated that it should be, and to let the testamentary 

 purpose be apparent in all its operations, was a task on which ability and 

 much consultation have been expended. There were, I may almost say, 

 necessarily, and of. course there were on this cardinal point, great diver- 

 sities of sentiment and construction, as there had been during the mas- 

 terly debates which prefaced the passage of the law. Wliat constituted 

 ' knotoledge,^ in the sense of Smithson's bequest? In what manner shall 

 its 'increase^ be provided for? By what method shall its ^diffusion.' 

 be sought ? Should the developments of the laboratory be more engrossing 

 than the stored resources of the library ? Will oral expositions or printed 

 treatises be preferable? Are permanent professorships to be systematized. 

 or temporary teachers to be enlisted? In fine, what should be the instru- 

 ments and the orbit of an establishment whence the light of knoAvledge 

 was required constantly to radiate among men? 



'' They to whom was confided the resolution of these problems into prac- 

 tical measures, have felt the weight and delicacy of their mission. They 

 began by profoimdly studying the subject in its several aspects. They 

 cherished with ardor, and discussed with freedom, their respective projects. 

 The conflicts of upright minds, however, rarely fail to end in mutual con- 

 cession and compromise; and thus scarcely a single measure was adopted 

 except by unaninrous concurrence. The Regents have submitted their 

 labors and conclusions to the country — the report of their proceedings was 

 duly made for legislative supervision; and maj'" they not confidently hope 

 for (what they know nothing of theirs can succeed without) the co-opera- 

 tion and sympathy of the American people? 



'' There are some results to be anticipated from the success of the institu- 

 tion, which, though not as obvious as others, are nevertheless such as no 

 sound American heart can wholly disregard, and which it may not be mis- 

 placed to glance at. That we shall fulfill, in the presence of ^vatchful 

 civilization, an admitted obligation, and that the common mind of our 

 country, on which the permanency of its liberties so closely depends, will 

 be exalted and invigorated, are considerations abundantly strong to rally 

 us all to the manly effort. No greater shame, and no greater loss can 

 readily be incurred, than Avould be consequent on ignoble failure. But 

 may it not be justly said, that the mild and genial intiuence of this estab- 

 lishment will strengthen and tighten the cords of our Union, and give to 

 the capital of that Union a new charm, with greater stability? 



