JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE 

 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 



Thursday, January 16, 1873. 



A meeting of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution was 

 held this day, at 6 o'clock p. m. Present : The Chancellor Chief Justice 

 Chase, Hon. S. Colfax, Hon. H. Hamlin, Hon. L. Trumbull, Hon. J. W. 

 Steveuson, Hou. J. A. Garfield, Hon. L. P. Poland, General Sherman, 

 Professor Agassiz, Hon. Peter Parker, Rev. Dr. John Maclean, and Pro- 

 fessor Henry, the Secretary. 



The Chancellor beiug unable to be present at the beginning of the 

 meeting, Hon. Mr. Hamlin was called to the chair. 



The Chancellor arriving at 7 o'clock, assumed his official position as 

 presiding officer of the Board. 



The Secretary informed the Board that since its last meeting the death 

 of Hon. Garrett Davis of the United States Senate had occurred, and that 

 the vacancy thus created in the Board of Begents had been filled by the 

 appointment of Hon. J. W. Stevenson, a Senator from the State of 

 Kentucky ; whereupon, on motion of General Garfield, the following 

 resolutions were adopted : 



Resolved, That the Board of Regents have heard the announcement 

 of the death of their highly esteemed colleague, Hon. Garrett Davis, of 

 Kentucky, with deep and sincere regret. 



Resolved, That in the death of Mr. Davis the Smithsonian Institution 

 has lost a warm friend, an efficient supporter, and judicious adviser j 

 and the country a patriotic, virtuous, and influential citizen. 



Resolved, That these resolutions be entered upon the journal, and a 

 copy of them be transmitted to the family of the deceased. 



The Secretary presented to the Board an exhibit on a large diagram 

 of the condition of the funds on the 1st of January, 1873, and of the 

 receipts and expenditures during 1872. 



On motion of Mr. Hamlin, these exhibits were referred to the Execu- 

 tive Committee. 



Hon. Peter Parker, in behali of the Executive Committee, made sub- 

 stantially the following preliminary report : 



" The Secretary, who by law is the custodian of the Smithsonian funds, 

 has presented to the Regents an ocular exhibit of the present condition of 

 these funds, and the Executive Committee have, at the present time, to 

 state that they have been laboriously engaged for several days in exam- 

 ining 1,395 vouchers for the expenditures of the Institution for the past 

 year ; and comparing these with the bank account, as well as the appro- 



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