JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS. 29 



January 28, 1847. 



On motion of Mr. Seaton, the Board of Regents proceeded to the 

 consideration of the resolutions submitted by the Committee on 

 the plan of the building. 



After debate, on motion of Mr. Owen — 



Ordered, That the said resolutions be laid upon the table. 



Mr. Owen offered the following resolutions ; which were read, 

 considered and agreed to : 



Resolved, That the Norman plan of a building for the Smithsonian Institution, fur- 

 nished by James Eemvick, jr., of New York, substantially as amended and reduced 

 agreeably to the suggestions of the committee, is approved by this Board. 



Resolved, That a building committee of three members of the Board, as provided 

 in the fifth section of the act of Congress, be appointed, who are hereby authorized 

 and empowered, on behalf of the Smithsonian Institution, to enter into contracts for 

 the completion of the buildings ; and that said committee have power to employ one 

 or more persons to superintend the erection of the buildings and the fitting up of the 

 rooms of the institution; and that the work shall be done to the entire satisfaction of 

 the said superintendent or superintendents ; and that the said superintendent or superin- 

 tendents shall have power, and shall be required, to reject any of the material pro- 

 posed to be employed, and also to object to inferior or insufficient work, and to direct 

 its change, at his or their discretion. 



Resolved, That in the performance of the duty intrusted to them, the building com- 

 mittee of three hereinbefore referred to shall give the contracts to the lowest "bidder 

 of good reputation, who shall give unexceptionable security, to the entire satisfaction 

 of the committee, for the performance of said contracts ; and such security shall in all 

 cases be taken. No advance shall in any case be made ; and fifteen per cent, of all 

 payments shall be retained until the faithful performance of the work. 



Resolved, That the Building Committee, after taking counsel with the Secretary, 

 shall carefully revise the specifications of the plan furnished to this Board by the 

 architect, before entering into any contract ; and if, after such examination, they shall 

 be of opinion that any modifications of the said plan and specifications are necessary 

 for the safety, durability, or better adaptation of the structure, they may incorporate 

 these in the said specifications ; but no addition to the dimensions of the building shall 

 be made, nor any ornament of any kind added ; and the said modifications shall 

 have sole reference to the safety, durability, and adaptation of the building. And 

 the whole amount of the contract for the said building, including the modifications 

 above provided for, shall, under no circumstances, exceed the amount of the original 

 estimates of the architect, to wit : the sum of two hundred and two thousand dollars, 

 with a percentage not exceeding ten per cent, on the said sum. 



Resolved, That the Building Committee be also authorized to contract for the warm- 

 ing and lighting of the building ; provided that the contract for the above objects 

 shall not exceed five thousand dollars. 



Resolved, That the Building Committee be also authorized to contract for the fitting 

 up and furnishing of the building of the institution ; provided that the contract for 

 the same shall not exceed twenty thousand dollars. 



Resolved, That the Building Committee be also authorized to contract for a perma- 

 nent fence around the ground belonging to the institution ; provided that the contract 

 for the same shall not amount to more than ten thousand dollars. 



Resolved, That the Secretary of the institution be authorized to contract for the 

 necessary chemical and philosophical apparatus, for which an appropriation of four 

 thousand dollars has heretofore been made. 



Resolved, That the Building Committee be authorized to contract for the grading, 

 laying out, and planting of the grounds of the institution ; and that three thousand 

 dollars, in addition to the one thousand dollars heretofore appropriated, be, and the 

 same is hereby, appropriated for that purpose. 



And it being on the one hand desirable that a portion of the buildings to be erected 

 by the institution be ready for use at an early day, and on the other hand it is essential 

 to the solidity and durability of a structure of the size required to embrace all the 

 objects specified in the act of Congress, that its erection be gradual and not too rapidly 

 hastened forward : Therefore — 



Resolved, That the Building; Committee be instructed to arrange the contracts for 



