rORTY- SEVENTH CONGRESS, 1881-1883. 905 



arrangement of international exchange, provided that the operations 

 of the Institution be assimilated with those of the foreign bureaus, so 

 as to enable it to act as though it were, for the special purpose in 

 view, a bureau of the foreign department of this Government." 



In a letter of January 10, 1879, page 22, Mr, Evarts renews his 

 assurances' of the desire of the "Department to secure to the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, in the event of its admission to the proposed inter- 

 national system, the fullest liberty of action, and the utmost enhance- 

 ment of its utility, without entailing any additional burden on its 

 resources. " 



On the 31st January, 1881, page 35, Mr. Evarts transmitted a 

 communication from the Smithsonian Institution to the Senate Com- 

 mittee on Appropriations, asking for an appropriation of $7,500, for 

 the purpose of carrying out the recommendations of the Paris 

 congress of 1875. 



An appropriation of $3,000 was actually passed for the services of 

 the fiscal year 1882, but placed under the heading of the Interior 

 Department. For 1883, the appropriation was $5,000, under the 

 Treasury; and for 1884, $7,500. 



In all cases, however, the wording of the law specificall}^ referred 

 to the Smithsonian Institution as the party by which the work was to 

 be done, and, inferentially, through its present organization. 



In conclusion, I beg, therefore, to claim that the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution having been designated by Congress as the agent of interna- 

 tional exchanges between the United States and other countries, by 

 original law, by appointment of the Joint Library Committee of 

 Congress under the law, and by the establishment of successive enact- 

 ments, is de facto and de jure the appointed agent, and as such derives 

 its authority from even a higher source than the nomination of the 

 Department of State, and that as such it is empowered to treat with 

 the corresponding agencies of other countries. 

 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



Spencer F. Baied, 



Sec^'etary. 



INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES — ESTIMATES. 



December 5, 1881 — House. 



Estimates for 1883. 



International exchanges, $5,000. 



Note. — The Smithsonian Institution has been designated by the State Department 

 as the official agent of the Government in prosecuting the exchanges in question. 

 October 21, 1882. 



Department of State. 



Washington, October 21, 1882. 

 Prof. Spencer F. Baird, 



Secretary of the Smithsonian Institutum. 



Sir: In response to your letter of the 3d instant, I have the honor 



to inform you that under the general arrangement of international 



