976 LETTERS ON PROGRAMME OF ORGANIZATIOii. 



From Edward Hitchcock. 



Amherst College, 

 Amherst, Mass., December 7, 1848. 

 I have looked over the programme of the Institutioa 

 with much interest, and consider it most admirably adop- 

 ted to accomplish the objects aimed at by Mr. Smithson. 

 So complete is it in its applications that with my limited 

 knowledge I have no additional suggestions to make. I 

 anticipate very interesting results to the cause of science in 

 this country from the carrying out of this plan. 



From Hector Humphreys. 



St. John's College, 

 Annapolis, Maryland, December 11, 1848. 

 I have read the programme, and say at once, that I highly 

 approve all its provisions. It fills up providentially a de- 

 sideratum long felt in the United States, owing to the little 

 encouragement which our government feels authorized un- 

 der the Constitution to extend to science and art. This 

 has reached but little beyond the poor protection that the 

 patent laws give to new inventions. Your plan will incite 

 many industrious and ingenious men to undertake works of 

 original research, because you offer them a certain reward, 

 in case they should succeed. The subsequent diffusion will 

 need no stimulus. 



From the President and Faculty of Georgetown College. 



Georgetown College, 

 District of Columbia, December 16, 1848. 



We have received the first volume of the " Smithsonian 

 Contributions to Knowledge," and now return many thanks 

 to you aud to those whose wisdom and experience have 

 formed the "Plan of Organization" which has brought to 

 light the interesting subject contained in the splendid work 

 now presented to the public. 



In acknowledging your kindness for this valuable present 

 we cannot avoid expressing our admiration of the Plan of 

 Organization itself, which is contained in your able Report 

 of December, 1847 ; convinced as we feel that scarcely any- 

 thing superior to it could be conceived to carry out, wisely, 

 and generously the intentions of Mr. Smithson. This being 

 our candid opinion it would be useless to analyse the report 



