94 BOARD OF REGENTS. 



with instructions to make such modifications in the wording of it 

 as in their judgment might be rendered necessary by present cir- 

 cumstances. 



A petition was presented from Gilbert Cameron, the contractor 

 of the building, requesting the payment of the money due him, 

 which had been kept back on account of a law-suit between himself 

 and one of the sub-contractors. 



In reference to the same, Mr. Maury, on behalf of the Building 

 Committee, presented a letter from J. M. Carlisle, Esq., attorney of 

 the Board, stating that the suit had been dismissed, and that the 

 court had decided that the Board of Regents could not be sued. 

 Mr. Maury also presented, on the part of the Building Committee, 

 a letter from Joseph II. Bradley, Esq., requesting that the money 

 be retained by the Board until the before-mentioned law-suit was 

 finally decided. 



On motion of Mr. Pearce, the subject was referred to a commit- 

 tee, with power to order the money to be paid, in whole or in part,, 

 if in their judgment it was thought proper. 



The chair appointed Messrs. Mason, Meacham, and Totten, as 

 the committee. 



The Secretary laid before the Board a bill from Henry Parish for 

 a copy of Canina's work on Architecture, purchased by James 

 Renwick, Jr., for the Institution in 1847, and now in the library, 

 but which, according to an accompanying letter from Mr. Renwick, 

 had never been paid. 



On motion of Mr. Meacham, the Secretary was directed to settle 

 the bill, provided on examining accounts, no evidence could be 

 found of its having been paid. 



The Building Committee exhibited to the Board the drawings for 

 the new lecture-room. 



The Secretary read the continuation of his report relative to the 

 publications, correspondence, magnetism, and meteorology. 



A number of letters received since the last meeting, and the an- 

 swers to them, were read to illustrate the character of the corre- 

 spondence of the institution. 



Mr. Meacham offered the following resolution : 



Resolved, That the Secretary and other officers of the Smithsonian Institution be 

 directed to furnish the Board of Kegents with estimates of appropriations necessary 

 to be made in order to carry on the Institution the ensuing year, according to the laws 

 for its organization. 



After some discussion, the resolution was postponed for further 

 discussion until the next meeting. 



