XXII PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS. 



The above certificate of the American consul was signed by the 

 witnesses named in the mortuary chapel of the cemetery after the 

 casket had been soldered up in their presence. The witnesses named 

 and the Avorkmen employed then stood around wath uncovered heads 

 while the consul of the United States placed over the remains of 

 James Smithson the American flag. 



The casket was left in the mortuary chapel to await my convenience 

 in transporting it to America; and Giovanni Battista Firpo, the 

 gardener employed by the Smithsonian Institution as the custodian 

 of the grave of James Smithson, was left in charge — he agreeing to 

 remain in the mortuary chapel night and day until the removal of the 

 remains. 



On Saturday, the l2d of January, 11)04, the foregoing witnesses 

 again assembled in the mortuarj'- chapel of the cemetery, and in their 

 l^resence the metallic casket was j^laced within a coffin of strong wood. 



Before the lid of the coffin was screwed down our consul, Mr. 

 Bishop, placed upon the casket the seal of the consulate of the United 

 States and covered the casket wnth an American flag. Mrs. Bell then 

 placed within the coffin a wreath of leaves from the grave of Smith- 

 son, and all the witnesses contributed flowers. 



Immediately before the removal of the remains from the mortuary 

 chajjel the following addresses were made : 



KKMARKS OF WILLIAM IIENKY BISHOP, UNITED STATES CONSUL. 



lOn the occasion of the removal of the remains of James Smithson from the mortuary 

 chapel of the cemetery of San Benigno, January 2, 1904.] 



Dr. Alexander Graham Bell: You arrived here, my dear Dr. Graham Bell, 

 charged by the Smithsonian Institution with the mission of removing to Wash- 

 ington the remains of the founder of that Institution, James Smithson, who has 

 been buried till now in the cemetery where we stand, since his death at Genoa 

 in the year 1829. Having been invited by you and by the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution \o aid you to what extent I might be able in this object, it has been a 

 matter of great pride and pleasure to me that I have been allowed to do so. 



All the steps necessary to such removal have now been taken. We have 

 received the authorization of the governmental heads of the province, the city, 

 and the British Burial Ground Fund, in which latter the title to tlie cemetery 

 and the custody of the grave of James Smithson is vested, and all of these have 

 kindly cooperated with us in the work. 



The body of James Smithson has now been reverently raised from the earth; 

 it has been placed in a case securely sealed, and this case stands ready to pass 

 into the charge of the steamship company which will convey it to New York. 



I assure you that it is with a feeling of real emotion that I have just now 

 cast the American flag over the body of this illustrious man, this noble but as 

 yet little ku(nvn benefact(U% as it is on the verge of l»eginning its journey to the 

 United States. The flag adopts him already, as it were, in the substance, for 

 our country, to which he has so long belonged in the spirit. He is now about 

 to receive there a portion of the outward venei-ation and homage he so supremely 

 merits, and which, owing to the modest circumstances of his life, and his inter- 

 ment here in some sense almost forgotten, he has never had. 



