SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 773 



The President took the chair. 



The minutes of the last annual meeting were read and approved. 



On motion of Hon. Mr. Guthrie, the institution proceeded to nominate candidates 

 for election as honorary members. 



Dr. Hare made some remarks respecting his apparatus, and the conditions on which 

 it was presented to the Institution. 



The Secretary explained the cause of the delay in completing the repairs, and in 

 the proposed exhibition of the apparatus. This had been mainly due to an accident 

 which happened to the building. A part of the interior gave way, and the Regents 

 directed that the whole wood work of the main building should be removed, and its 

 place supplied with fire-proof materials. To meet the additional expense of this 

 necessary change in the plan, the time of completing the edifice was extended, and 

 funds which would have been devoted to other purposes were consequently given to 

 this object. The building will, however, be completed in the course of the present 

 year ; a spacious room is now nearly ready to receive the apparatus, and due diligence 

 on the part of the Institution will be made to finish the repairs of the articles, of 

 which a considerable portion are now completed. 



On motion, the Institution then adjourned to the first Tuesday in June next, (6th 

 proximo.) 



Washington, June 6, 1854. 



An adjourned meeting of the Smithsonian Institution was held this day, June 6, 

 1854, in the hall of the institution, at 12 o'clock m. 



Present : Hon. William L. Marcy, Secretary of State ; Hon. James Guthrie, Sec- 

 retary of the Treasury ; Hon. Caleb Gushing, Attorney General ; Hon. Charles 

 Mason, Commissioner of Patents ; Professor Joseph Henry, Secretary of the Insti- 

 tution. 



There not being a legal quorum present, on motion of Mr. Cushing, the Institution 

 adjourned to meet on Saturday, July 15, 1854, at 12 o'clock m. 



Washington, July 15, 1854. 



An adjourned meeting of the Smithsonian Institution was held this day July 15, 

 1854, in the hall of the Institution, at 12 o'clock m. 



Present : Franklin Pierce, President of the United States ; Hon. William L. 

 Marcy, Secretary of State ; Hon. James Guthrie, Secretary of the Treasury ; Hon. 

 Jefferson Davis, Secretary of War; Hon. James C. Dobbin, Secretary of the Navy; 

 Hon. James Campbell, Postmaster General ; Hon. Caleb Cushing, Attorney General ; 

 Hon. Charles Mason, Commissioner of Patents. 



The President took the chair. The minutes of the last meeting were read and 

 approved. 



The nominations previously made for honorary members were then read, and the 

 Institution proceeded to ballot, but no choice was made. 



On the second ballot no choice was made. 



On motion, the election of an honorary member was postponed. 



Ordered, That three persons be appointed a committee of the Institution to confer 

 with the Board of Regents as to suitable means of communication between the two 

 bodies, and to report thereon at a subsequent meeting of the Institution. 



The Secretary gave a general account of the affairs of the Institution ; the condi- 

 tion of the building ; the operations carried on during the past year ; and a state- 

 ment of the finances at the present time. 



The President appointed Messrs. Cushing, Davis, and Mason, as the committee of 

 conference with the Board of Regents.* 



On motion of Mr. Campbell, the Institution adjourned to meet on the third Satur- 

 day (21st) of October next. This meeting was not held. 



[A meeting was subsequently held, at which A. B. Longstreet, of Mississippi, 

 and the Secretary of the Interior were elected honorary members, but no record of 

 proceedings has been found.] 



* The report of this committee is given on page 120. It was adopted by the Board of Regents, but 

 cot presented to the Establishment. 



