60 SMITHSONIAN BEQUEST. 



be seen, from the inclosed copy of a letter to me from the solicitors, 

 in reply to one I wrote them on the last of May (a copy of which is 

 also inclosed), that it is only to-day that all the forms have been finally 

 and full}^ completed. 



After getting this information, I went immediately to the proper 

 department of the accountant-general of the court of chancery at the 

 Bank of England, and find that there has been transferred to me the 

 following stock, viz: 



1. Sixty-four thousand live hundred and thirty-five pounds eighteen 

 shillings and nine pence in the consolidated 3 per cent annuities, com- 

 monl}^ called consols Ijy abbreviation. 



2. Twelve thousand pounds in reduced 8 per cent annuities. 



3. Sixteen thousand one hundred pounds in ])ank stock. 



The books at the bank show the above stock to have been regularly 

 transferred to me under the authority of the court of chancery by the 

 accountant-general, as the proper oflicer of the court, in virtue of the 

 decree reported in my last, and 1 have accepted the same on the books, 

 on behalf of the United States, by signing my name to a form of 

 acceptance drawn out under each transfer. 



The above stock constitutes, with the exception of £5,015, the 

 whole property left by Mr. Smithson to the United States, and now 

 recovered for them, with the further exception of some small sum in 

 cash, to which the solicitors refer as still to come from the accountant- 

 general, but of which I have as yet no statement. 



The sum of £5,015 in consols, it has been decreed by the court, is to 

 be reserved and set apart to answer the annuity payable to Madame la 

 Batut, the principal to revert to the United States on the death of the 

 annuitant. 



I have taken care to instruct the solicitors to see that there is due 

 proof at all times of the annuitant being in full life as the half-yearly 

 payments are made to her. 



Although the aggregate of the stock transferred as above is under 

 £100,000 in its nominal amount, there is no doubt whatever but that 

 the sale of it will yield more than that sum. 



The transfer by the accountant-general was made to me only to-day, 

 and this is so far fortunate as that it could not otherwise have been 

 effected as to the principal part of the stock (viz, the 3 per cent annui- 

 ties) until the 17th of July, the books closing after to-day for the 

 transfer of this species of stock until the date I mention. 



The important operation of selling the stock now remains to be 

 conducted, and shall claim my careful attention. I design to go into 

 the city to-morrow with a view to adopting the earliest measures for 

 this purpose, taking advice, in aid of my own judgment, for so man- 

 aging the sales as best to promote the interests of the United States. 



