920 PROPOSED APPLICATIONS OF SMITHSON'S BEQUEST. 



who compose the bench at Washington, with an equal num- 

 ber selected by themselves from among the sages of the 

 land, who have become illustrious for their wisdom and 

 virtue, and who have retired from the strife of politics. 

 Let all vacancies by death or resignation, among the asso- 

 ciates of the judges, be filled by the election of the whole 

 board ; the vacancies on the bench of judges being filled as 

 by law provided. Let the board so constituted have per- 

 petual succession, and possess all the necessary corporate 

 powers, as the Smithsonian Institution. Such men as these 

 judges, with such other men as Albert Gallatin, James Kent, 

 James Tallmadge, would be inaccessible to the corrupt influ- 

 ence of party. In the management of the trust confided to 

 them, they would give to the country the benefit of their 

 wisdom ; they would possess its confidence, and redeem its 

 plighted faith. They should be invested with large dis- 

 cretionary powers, and should report to Congress at each 

 Bession the doings and condition of the Institution. 



m. The Editorial Bureau. — Let the Board of Regents 

 appoint the subordinate officers of the institution ; namely, 

 two editors and two assistants ; one of whom shall be the 

 corresponding, and another the recording secretary of the 

 institution. These officers should be selected from among 

 the ablest men whose services can be commanded. Their 

 compensation should be liberal. They should not be re- 

 movable except for cause, and by the vote of a majority of 

 the appointing power. The permanency of their appoint- 

 ments would be an inducement to bring all their faculties 

 to their work, and to aim at the highest perfection in the 

 duties assigned them. 



rV. Volume of Practical Science. — Let it be the duty of this 

 Editorial Bureau to collect, from all sources, all that is 

 known touching the subjects of agriculture, manufactures, 

 commerce, architecture, engineering, the fine arts — in short, 

 in all branches of productive industry ; to extract from the 

 mass that which is best calculated to subserve the industrial 

 interests of the country, and digest and arrange the same 

 into a form adapted to popular use. Let the large annual 

 volume, of 800 or more pages, octavo, be compiled, contain- 

 ing more or less upon all these subjects, so as to give to 

 each volume the attraction of a rich variety. Let it be 

 stereotyped in the best manner, with double sets of plates. 

 Let the work be enriched and embellished with maps, plans, 

 plates, engravings, illustrative of the matter contained in 

 the volume, particularly natural history, mechanics, archi- 



