THIRTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS, 1863-65. 685 



Winter Davis of Maryland, and J. W. Patterson of New 

 Hampshire. 



June 13, 1864. — Annual report of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution laid before the House of Representatives, and Mr. 

 Cox moved that extra copies be printed. 



June 28, 1864. — Mr. Clark, from the Committee on 

 Printing, reported the following, which was adopted : 



Resolved, That 5,000 extra copies of the report of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution, for 1863, be printed ; 3,000 for the use of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 and 2,000 for the use of the members of the House. 



House of Representatives, January 6, 1865. 



Mr. Cox. I ask unanimous consent to take from the 

 Speaker's table Senate bill to repeal the provision of law 

 requiring certain Regents of the Smithsonian Institution to 

 be members of the National Institute. 



There being no objection, the bill was taken up, and was 

 read a first and second time. 



Mr. Cox. I may state that the object of this bill is to 

 repeal that provision of law which requires that two of 

 the regents of the Smithsonian Institution shall be members 

 of the National Institute — an institution which is now ob- 

 solete. 



The bill was ordered to a third reading, read the third 

 time, and passed. 



Mr. Cox moved to reconsider the vote by which the bill 

 was passed ; and also moved that the motion to reconsider 

 be laid on the table. 



The latter motion was agreed to. 



Senate, January 11, 1865. 

 Mr. Trumbull introduced the following joint resolution : 



Resolved, tf-c, That Kichard Delafield, resident of Washington city, be, 

 and he hereby is, appointed a Regent of the Smithsonian Institution, in 

 the place of Joseph G. Totten, deceased. 



January 17, 1865. — Senate resolution above passed. 

 February 2, 1865. — The Senate passed the following reso- 

 lution : 



Resolved, By the Senate, (the House of Eepresentatives concurring,) that 

 the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds of the Senate, conjointly 

 with the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds of the House of 

 Ptepresentatives, be, and they are hereby, directed to inquire into the origin 

 of the fire by which the Smithsonian Institution building and the valuable 

 deposits therein were, on Tuesday, the 24th day of January, in whole or in 

 part, destroyed ; the approximate loss to the Government and to private 

 persons ; the means necessary to preserve the remaining portions of said 

 building and its contents from further injury ; and such other facts in con- 



