52 Mis. No. 48. 



Judging from the progress already made, the committee are of opinion 

 that the contractor will be able to finish the buildins, and all other matters 

 comprised in his contract, for the stipulated amount} and that all expendi- 

 tures connected with the building, including the laying out of the grounds, 

 planting, sodding, fencing, road-making, heating, ventilating, &c., may 

 be comprised within the limit of $j250,0U0, set by resolution of the board at 

 the last meeting. 



During the past year the committee have entered into contract, amount- 

 ing to §1,050, with Mr. John Douglass, of Washington, for enclosing the 

 grounds of the Institution with a hedge, and for planting trees and shrub- 

 bery. The architect having marked out the paths and roads, and indicated 

 tlie positions of the trees and shrubs, these, comprising about 160 species^ 

 principally American, have already, for the greater part, been planted, as 

 well as the surrounding hedges, which are to consist of pyrocanthus, 

 Osage orange, Cherokee rose, and hawthorn, respectively, on the four 

 sides of the lot. Investigations and inquiries that have been made on this 

 subject, satisfy the committee that this climate is favorable to the growth 

 and maintenance of hedges, and that for a moderate expense a permanent 

 and beautiful enclosure will be secured. The architect has been requested 

 to prepare drawings and estimates of the gateways necessary to connect the 

 building with the adjacent streets. 



Proposals have been obtained for putting up furnaces in the east wingj 

 also, for sodding a portion of the ground immediately around the building, 

 and for making permanent roads and paths from the streets to the building 

 and through tlie grounds; but it is not contemplated to engage in these last- 

 mentioned works at present. 



In relation to the work entitled ''Hints on Public Architecture," pre- 

 pared by the late Chairman of the Building Committee, for publication by 

 that committee under resolution of the Board, it is to be stated that the 

 manuscript has been submitted, under vote of the committee, to the in- 

 spection of Judge J. K. Kane, of Philadelphia, Governeur Kemble^ esq., 

 of New York, and President Everett, of Cambridge Universi'y. From 

 all of whom letters communicating their opinions of the work have been 

 received, and are submitted with this report. 



Mr. Owen, in a late letter to one of the committee, states his intention to be 

 in New York by the 20th December, to superintend the printing; the printer 

 refiising without his supervision and arrangement of the illustrations, tfcc, 

 to put it to press, and expresses his confident belief that it will issue by the 

 10th of Februarj'- — certainly, before the adjournment of Congress. 



The architect of the Institution, who has drawn many of the illustrations, 

 and superintends the engraving gratuitously, states that all the engravings 

 are ready, or nearly so, and that the illustrations will amount to upwards of 

 100, of which six will be lithographs and the remainder wood-cuts by 

 tlie best engravers in the country. 



The wood-cuts generally do great credit to the engravers; a few of 

 the principal ones have been brought on by the architect, and are herewith 

 laid before the board. 



The expense of the engravings contrated for will be $2,000, of which 

 $ has been paid up to 1st December;, 1S4S, the remainder being due 



the engravers. 



The vestry of Grace Church, in the city of New York, have presented 

 to the committee a lithograph of that building; which will cost tlie vestry 



