10 BOARD OF REGENTS. 



Mr. Bache presented a paper signed by members of the American 

 Philosophical Society, recommending Titian R. Peale as a person 

 eminently qualified to take charge of the collections of the institu- 

 tion ; which was placed on file for future consideration. 



A motion was made by Mr. Breese to reconsider the vote by 

 which the Board yesterday adopted the resolution selecting and 

 adopting a site for their buildings. 



After debate, the motion of Mr. Breese was postponed until to- 

 morrow. 



The resolutions reported yesterday by Mr. Owen, from the Com- 

 mittee on Organization, came up in order for consideration. 



At the suggestion of Mr. Choate that he wished to examine the 

 report accompanying them ; 



On motion of Mr. Owen, the resolutions were further postponed 

 until to-morrow. 



Mr. Breese offered the following resolution : 



Resolved, That at one o'clock, p. m., to-morrow, the Board will proceed to the elec- 

 tion of a secretary of the institution. 



Which was read, and on motion of Mr. Breese, laid upon the 

 table. 



On motion of Mr. Hough, the Board adjourned until to-morrow, 

 at 12 o'clock, meridian. 



December 3, 1846. 

 The Chancellor laid before the Board the -following communica- 

 tion from the Assistant Secretary. 



Office House of Kepresentatives United States, December 3, 1846. 



Sir : Having been appointed Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in 

 September last, by the Secretary, (Hon. Mr. Hough,) the performance of all she 

 duties of Secretary in this city in his absence devolved upon me. 



As it may at some future period be important, if it is not now, that the Begeats 

 should be informed of my official action, I most respectfully submit the following 

 statement : 



By direction of the Secretary I caused sundry official documents, relative to the in- 

 stitution, together with the proceedings of the first meeting of the Begents, to be re- 

 corded in a large record book marked A. As this labor was performed in a manner 

 exceedingly creditable to the person who performed it, I will take the liberty to say 

 that it was done by Adam J. Glossbrenner, Esq., of Pennsylvania, a clerk in the 

 office of House of Bepresentatives. 



In conformity with the special direction of the Begents at their first meeting, and 

 at the request of the Secretary, I collected all the printed documents in relation to the 

 bequest of James Smithson, and caused them to be handsomely and strongly bound in 

 a volume which I have taken the liberty to present to the institution. Up to the day 

 on which the present session commenced, twenty-four volumes of books and seven 

 pamphlets came into my possession for the instituion — some of them as presents, others 

 under the copyright provision of the tenth section of the act of Congress establishing 

 the institution. Since the session commenced two volumes of books and one pamphlet 

 have been presented. 



The following is a complete list of the books now in my possession : 



