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Museum, 



The formation of a museum of objects of nature and art requires much 

 caution. V»^ith a given income to be appropriated to the purpose, a time 

 must come when die cost of keeping the objects will just equal the amount 

 of the appropriation; after this no further increase can take place. Also, 

 the tendency of an institution of this kind, unless guarded against, will 

 be to expend its funds on a heterogeneous collection of objects of mere 

 curiosity; whereas the plan presented in the programme contemplates 

 complete definite collections arranged for scientific purposes, rather than 

 for popular display. For some suggestions on this point see page 24. 



In this connexion there is one point which I beg to present to the con- 

 sideration of the board as one of much importance, and which, if possi- 

 ble, should be decided at this meeting, because on it will depend the ar- 

 rangement of that part of the building devoted to natural history. 1 al- 

 lude to the acceptance of the museum of the exploring expedition. 



By the law incorporating this institution, ''all objects of art and of 

 foreign and curious research, and all objects of natural histoiy, plants, 

 and geological and mineralogical specimens belonging to or hereafter to 

 belong to the United States, which may be in the city of Washington, in 

 whosesoever custody tlie same may be, shall be delivered to such persons 

 as may be authorized by the Board of Regents to receive them." 



This law evidently gives to the Smithsonian Institution the museum 

 in the Patent Office, the conservatory of plants, and all specimens of 

 nature and art to be found in the several offices and departments of the 

 government. The act, however, cannot be construed as rendering it 

 obligatory on the Regents to take charge of these articles, if, in their opin- 

 ion, it is not for the best interests of the institution that they should do 

 so. Though one of the reasons urged upon the Regents for the imme- 

 diate erection of so large a building was the necessity of providing accom- 

 modation for this museum, I have been, from the first, of the opinion that 

 it is inexpedient to accept it. 



This museum was collected at the expense of the government, and 

 should be preserved as a memento of the science and energy of our navy, 

 and as a means of illustrating and verifying the magnificent volumes 

 Avhich comprise the history of that expedition. If the Regents accept 

 this museum, it must be merged in the Smithsonian collections. It could 

 not be the intention of Congress that an institution founded by the liber- 

 ality of a foreigner, and to which he has affixed his own name, should 

 be charged with the keeping of a separate museum, the property of the 

 United States. Besides this, the extensive museum of the Patent Office 

 would inmrediately fill the space allotted for collections of this kind in 

 the Smithsonian edifice, and in a short time another appropriation Avould 

 be required for the erection of another building. Moreover, all the objects 

 of interest ol this collection have been described and figured in the vol- 

 umes of the expedition, and the small portion of our funds wdiich can be 

 devoted to a nuiseum may be better employed in collecting new objects, 

 such as have not yet been studied, than in preserving those from which 

 the harvest of discovery has already been fully gathered. 



The answer made to some of these objections has usually been, that 

 the government would grant an annual appropriation for the support of 

 the museum of the exploring expedition. But this would be equally ob- 



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