JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS. 67 



The following resolution, offered by Mr. Mason, was unanimously 

 adopted : 



Resolved, That the thanks of the Board be, and they are hereby, tendered to the 

 Hon. W. TV. Seaton, late mayor of the city of "Washington and ex officio Kegent of 

 the Smithsonian Institution, for his able and valuable services as a member" of the 

 Board, now terminated by the expiration of his term of office as mayor of "Washing- 

 ton. 



On motion, the Board adjourned to meet on Friday morning, 5th 

 instant, at 9, a. m. 



July 5, 1850. 



The Board of.Kegents held a meeting this day, at 9 a. m., in the 

 east wing of the Smithsonian building. 



Present, Messrs. Fillmore, Colcock, Davis, Fitch, and Lenox. 



The Secretary stated that vacancies in two committees of the 

 Board were occasioned by the retirement of Mr. Seaton, where- 

 upon, on motion of Mr. Fitch, it was — 



Resolved, That General Totten be appointed a member of the Executive Committee. 



Also, on motion of Mr. Davis, it was — 



Resolved, That Mr. Lenox be appointed a member of the Building Committee. 



The Secretary stated that, in order to the development of the 

 plans of the institution, it was necessary that additional assistants 

 should be appointed. With the officers now engaged, little more 

 could be clone than to attend to the general correspondence, which 

 now extends to every part of the world, and the details of business, 

 which have been continually increasing. The labor of reading 

 manuscripts and attending to the press, would almost occupy the 

 time of one individual. He therefore recmested that he might be 

 allowed to appoint an assistant in the department of natural history, 

 to take charge of the museum and aid in the publications, &c. 



On motion of Mr. Davis, it was — 



Resolved, That the Secretary be authorized to appoint an assistant secretary in the 

 department of natural history, to take charge of the museum, and to render such 

 other assistance as the Secretary may require, at a salary of lifteen hundred dollars 

 per annum. 



The Secretary thereupon appointed Professor Spencer F. Baird 

 under the foregoing resolution ; and, on motion, the Board approved 

 the appointment. 



The Secretary then stated that Dr. Edward Foreman had been 

 engaged during the past year as a general assistant ; that he had 

 been elected professor of chemistry in the JSTational Medical College 

 of this city, the duties of which, however, did not materially inter- 

 fere with his labors in the Smithsonian Institution ; and the Secre- 



