44 BOARD OF REGENTS. 



the Board to enter at present into the purchase of books towards 

 the formation of a general library; and the agent of the bank, that 

 however highly the Board values the portraits of the distinguished 

 men enumerated, and however much they would like to place them 

 in their gallery of art, it is not in the power of the Board, consist- 

 ently with existing arrangements and obligations, to apply their 

 funds to such an acquisition. 



Mr. Bache presented a letter from Lieutenant Gilliss, relative to 

 a proposed expedition, for the purpose of observations on the solar 

 parallax by the method of Geriing, and asking of the Board an 

 opinion of the same, which might be placed before the Secretary of 

 the Navy; and, on motion of Col. Totten, it was — 



Resolved, That the letter of Lieutenant Gilliss, and the accompanying papers, be 

 referred to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, with authority to give his 

 individual opinion to Lieutenant Gilliss on the subject. 



Mr. Cass advised, that in order to prevent the time of the Secre- 

 tary being consumed in the examination of the various schemes 

 which will be presented to him, that he adopt the rule of giving no 

 opinion on any subject, unless he be required to examine it by the 

 Board. 



Mr. Owen presented the following proposition, namely: 



Resolved, That the Building Committee may, at their option, accede to the request 

 of Mr. Notman, architect, to have his drawings of a design for the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution returned to him. 



Which, on motion of Col. Totten, was laid on the table. 

 On motion of Mr. Bache, it was — 



Resolved, That the Chancellor of the Smithsonian Institution be the organ of com- 

 munication of the Smithsonian Institution with the public, and that the Secretary be 

 the organ of communication between the officers of the institution and the Board. 



And then, on motion, the Board adjourned until Friday next, at 

 11 o'clock, a. m. 



December 17, 1847. 



The Board met agreeably to adjournment. 



Present, George M. Dallas, Chancellor, Alexander D. Bache r 

 Lewis Cass, Henry W. Hilliard, William J. Hough, Robert Dale 

 Owen, J. A. Pearce, W. W. Seaton, and Joseph G. Totten. 



Mr. Hough introduced the following resolution ; which was agreed 

 to: 



Resolved, That by the appointment of Hon. EJ chard Kush, of Pennsylvania, to the 

 office of minister plenipotentiary to France, and his continued absence from the 

 United States, and residence at a foreign court for an indefinite length of time under 

 such appointment, his office of Regent of the Smithsonian Institution has become 



vacant, and that Mr. be a committee to introduce into, and procure to be 



passed through the Senate of the United States, the necessary joint resolution of the 



