Mis. No. 48. t 



WEDNESDAY, DEtEMBER 20, 1S4S. 



The board met agreeably to adjournment. 



Present, the Chancellor, Messrs. Bache, Breese, Davis, Marsh, Pearce, 

 Seaton, and Totten. 



On motion of Mr. Marsh, it was 



Resolved, That the Secretary and Executive Committee be autborized 

 to present to Messrs. Squier and Davis two hundred copies of their memoir 

 contained in the first volume of the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowl- 

 edge. 



Mr. Marsh presented a letter from John R. Bartlelt, of New York, ac- 

 companying a plan for the preparation of a new and improved dictionary 

 of the English language, under the auspices of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution. 



On motion, it was 



I^csolved, That the foremenlioned letter and plan be referred to the Sec- 

 retary, the Executive Committee, and Mr. Marsh. 

 On motion of Mr. Marsh, it was 



Resolved, That the Secretary be authorized to purchase, for the sum of 

 one hundred and fifty dollars, the lithographic stones upon which are 

 traced the designs for the first volume of the Smithsonian Contributions to 

 Knowledge. 



Mr. Seaton presented letters from several persons making application 

 for employment in the institution. 



The Secretary called the attention of the board to the statement made in 

 his report relating to the valuable donation of apparatus, made to the insti- 

 tuion by Dr. Robert Hare, of Philadelphia. 



Whereupon, on motion of Mr. Seaton, it was unanimously 



Resolved, That a committee be appointed, to consist of the Chancellor, 

 Secretary, and Mr. Pearce, to communicate in suitable terms to Dr. Hare, 

 the thanks of the Board of Regents for the munificent present of his ex- 

 tensive and very valuable apparatus to the Smithsonian Institution. 



The Secretary stated to the board the progress made in the distribution 

 of the first volume of the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge among 

 colleges, learned societies, and large libraries ; no copies having as yet been 

 given to individuals. 



The Secretary presented a list of donations to the Institution. 



The Secretary also presented letters from several distinguished individ- 

 uals highly approving the plan of the proposed Bibliograpliia Americana, 

 mentioned in his report. (See appendix A.) ^ 



On motion, the board adjourned to meet on Wednesday, the2/th instant, 



at 11 o'clock, a. m. 



WEDNESDAY, December 27, 184S. 



The board met agreeably to adjournment. 



Present, Messrs. Bache, Davis, McClelland, Seaton, and lotten. 



The Chancellor being absent, Mr. Davis was called to the clnir. 



The Secretary presented a letter* from J. Disturnell, of New \ ork city, 

 accompanying a copy of a memorial to Congress relative to tlie preparation 

 of a new Gazetteer of North America, which letter and memorial were re- 

 ferred to the Secretary and Executive Committee. 



