REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 6 



In iiccordance with the above resolution the Boaid nid on Dccciii- 

 ber H, i;>()3, Jaiuuiry 27, 1904, and March 7, l!K)4. 



The foHowin<i' is an a1)stra('t of its pr()cee(iin«>"s, which latter will be 

 found in the annual I'cpoi't of the Hoai'd to Conorc.ss: 



Heijuhir mei'timj of Dccinnhcr S, 190.i. 



Senator Piatt and the ChanccHor made statements with ret^-ai'd to the 

 new buildino- for the National Museum, and th(^ Secretary r(>ad a i'(>port 

 which showed vhat with the advice and consent of the Chancellor and 

 the chairman of the executive committee, as required by the resolution 

 of the Board adopted iVrarch 12, 1908, a contract had l»een made, under 

 date of May 18, 1908, with Messrs. Horn])lower & Marshall, architects, 

 of Washington, D. C, for the necessary architectural services. 



With reo-ard to the special report of the executive committee as sub- 

 mitted by Doctor Bell, and the reportof the special conmiittee which was 

 read at leng-th by the Chancellor, the Board, after discussion, adopted 

 resolutions providinu" for the printintif of these reports and thcMr dis- 

 tribution to the members of the Board. 



The Secretary presented the compilation of laws which had ])een 

 prepared in accordance with a I'esolution offered ])v Senator Cockrell 

 at the uieeting- of March 12, 1908, and the manuscript was referred to 

 Senator Cockrell for his examination and decision as to printing. 



The Secretary read letters from the Hon. William Henry Bisliop, 

 United States consul at Cenoa, Italy, and from the conmiittee of the 

 British burial ground fund, explaining the urgency of action with 

 regard to the removal of the remains of James Smithson. 



Doctor Bell renewed the proposition which he made at the last 

 meeting that the remains of Smithson be brought to this countrv 

 at his expense, and after discussion the Board adopted the following 

 resolutions: 



'"''Resolved, That Dr. A. Graham Bell be appointed as a committee 

 to take charge of the matter of the removal of the remains of .Tames 

 Smithson from Genoa to Washington, with the request that the nego- 

 tiations and removal be conducted quietly and privately. 



"Be.solred, That upon the conclusion of this duty all expenses in- 

 volved b}' it be reimbursed to Doctor Bell from the funds of the 

 Institution.'- 



ANNUAL MEETING OF JANUARY 27, 1904. 



The Secretary announced that on January 12 the Speaker of the 

 House had reai)pointed Kepresentatives Hitt, Adams, and Dinsinoreas 

 Regents for two years; and also that Senator Henderson and Dr. A. 

 Graham Bell had l)een reappointed for a term of six years by joint 

 resolution approved ])y the President flanuar^" 27, 1*904. 



The usual resolution relative to income and expenditure was adopted, 

 and the Secretary presented his annual report of the operations of the 



