740 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



including those transferred from the Centennial, more than fmir times the collections 



of 1875. 



/ 



For the expense of watching and taking proper care of the Armory 

 building and the objects therein contained, $2,500. 



Note. — No other appropriation is available for the c;are and attendance of the 

 Armory luiilding, lighting, heating, etc. 



For expenses of malting up into sets for distribution to colleges and 

 institutions the duplicate ores, minerals, and objects of natural history 

 now belonging to the United States or in the collections of the Inter- 

 national Exhibition presented to it by foreign governments, $10,000. 



Note. — This appropriation is needed in order to distribute the large bulk of dupli- 

 cate material belonging to the Government, and for the distribution of it to institu- 

 tions where it will be of service. This, however, is less urgent in its necessity than 

 the other items. Hundreds of applications are on file for these objects. 



December 4, 1876 — House. 



Estimates for 1878, through the Secretary of the Treasury. 



For preservation of the collections of the surveying and exploring 

 expeditions of the Government, $10,000. 



For restoring to proper place in National Museum and repairing 

 cases moved to the International Exhibition and for expense of re-ar- 

 ranging the collections, $5,000. 



For completing and fitting up the building erected in the Smithso- 

 nian grounds for the preparation- and photographing of specimens, 

 $5,000. 



For fitting up the so-called Armor}' building, on the Mall, between 

 Sixth and Seventh streets, for the reception and storage of objects 

 of natural history, etc., belonging to the United States, including those 

 transferred from the International Exhibition at Philadelphia, $2,500. 



For expense of watching and taking proper, care of the said building 

 and the objects therein contained, $1,500. 



January 12, 1877 — House. 



Deficiency estimates for 1877. 



For the ordinary care and preservation of the collections, $10,000. 



This is asked for the following reason: 



It was found from experience that $25,000 were not more than sufficient to arrange, 

 preserve, and exhibit the collections of the Government Museum, liut of this amount 

 which we estimated for the year, only $10,000 were allowed, and it therefore liecame 

 necessary to discharge many of the assistants, leaving a number insufficient to pre- 

 serve the rapidly increasing number of specimens from deterioration and destruction, 

 much less to put them in a condition for display and satisfactory study. 



While the national collections have developed into a museum in magnitude and 

 importance commensurate with many of the museums of the Old World, the provision 

 for its service is inferior even to that of the national museums of Mexico, Buenos 

 Ayres, Denmark, Sweden, etc. 



