ORGANIZATION OF THE U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



FOU]\DATION AW» SCOPE. 



I. 



The iN'ATiONAL Museum was organized ia 1846 by the act of Con- 

 gress transferring to the Smithsonian Institution the custody of the 

 "National Cabinet of Curiosities," at that time deposited in the Patent- 

 Office Building.* These collections were, in 1857, placed in the Smith- 

 sonian building, the Eegents of the Institution having accepted the 

 trust on condition that the necessary appropriations for their main- 

 tenance should be continued by Congress. 



II. 



The act above referred to provides that "all. objects of art and of 

 foreign and curious research, and all objects of natural history, plants, 

 and geological and mineralogical specimens belonging or hereafter to 

 belong to the United States, which may be in the city of Washington,'' 

 shall be delivered to the Eegents of the Smithsonian Institution, and, 

 together with new sj)ecimens obtained by exchange, donation, or other- 

 wise, shall be so arranged and classified as best to facilitate their exami- 

 nation and study, t 



The National Museum is the authorized place of deposit for all objects 

 of natural history, mineralogy, geology, archeology, ethnology, &c., 

 belonging to the United States or collected by the Coast and Interior 

 Survey, the Geological Survey, or by any other parties for the Govern- 

 ment of the United States, when no longer needed for investigations in 

 progress. | 



III. 



The ESTABLISHMENT of the Smithsonian Institution, to which, in 

 addition to the carrying out of the other requirements of the bequest of 

 Smithson, is entrusted the control of the National Museum, is composed 



* An act to establish the " Smithsonian Institution" for tho increase and diffusion 

 of useful knowledge among men. (Approved August 10, 1846; Kev'sed Statutes, 

 title Ixxiii, sections 5579-5594.) 



t Revised Statutes, section 5586. 



t Statutes Forty-fifth Congress, third session, chap. 182, p. 394. 



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