1032 CONGRESSIONAL PEOCEEDINGS. 



For cases, furniture, and fixtures required for the exhibition and 

 safe-keeping of the collections of the National Museum, including sal- 

 aries or compensation of all necessary employees, $40,000. 



(Stat., XXIV, 242.) 



August 4, 1886. 



Deficiency act for 1886, etc. 



For expense of heating, lighting, and electrical and telephonic serN'- 

 i(.'e, 1631.67. 



Preservation of collections, 1888 and prior years, 1^149.16. 



(Stat., XXIV, 272.) 



(To cover claim reported in House Ex. Doc. No. 255, Forty-ninth 

 Congress, first session.) 



MANUSCRIPT COMMISSION. 

 March 11, 1886— Senate. 



Mr. G. F. Hoar introduced S. 1851 : 



That the Secretary of State, the Librarian of Congress, and tlie Secretary of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, and their successors in office, are hereby constituted a com- 

 mission whose duty it shall be to report to Congress the character and value of the 

 historical and other manuscripts belonging to the Government of the United States 

 and what method and policy should be pursued in regard to editing and publishing 

 the same or any of them. 



Referred to Committee on the Library. 

 March 25, 1886— Senate. 



Passed. 

 April 15, 1886— House. • 



Mr. O. R. Singleton, from the Joint Committee on the Lil)rarv, 

 submitted a report (H. 1633) on bill (S. 1851): 



The Joint Conmiittee on the Library, to whom was referred the bill 

 (S. 1851) establishing a commission to report to Congress on manu- 

 scripts belonging to the Government, have had the same under con- 

 sideration, and report the same back with a recommendation that it 

 do pass. 



The bill does not provide for any expenditure of money, but only 

 looks to the raising a commission whose duty it shall be to inquire 

 into the character and value of manuscripts belonging to the Govern- 

 ment, and propose some plan for editing and publishing the same. 

 We have many valuable manuscripts, some of which have been 

 acquired by purchase and others by donation. Among them are the 

 Franklin, the Rochambeau papers, and a copy of the records of Vir- 

 ginia made the first year or two after her settlement. The bill pro- 

 vides that the Secretary of State, the Librarian of Congress, and the 

 Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution shall constitute the commis- 

 sion and report to Congress their opinion as to the best means of 

 giving publicity to these historical manuscripts. 



Committed to Committee of the Whole. 



