THE GENESIS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 285 



It was Just at this time that tlie National Institution was organized 

 on tlie 15tli of May, 1840, by the adoption of a constitution and a dec- 

 hiratiou of its objects, "which are to j)roniote science and the useful 

 arts and to establish a national museum of natural history, etc." 



The constitution of this society in its first form was somewhat inea- 

 ger, but as printed on tlie cover of the second bidletin of proceedings 

 is decidedly prophetic of the future act of incorporation of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution. 



Its plan, however, was conceiA ed in a broad and liberal s])irit, its 

 membership was a strong one, including at the beginning about ninety 

 representative men of Washington, members of Congress, scientific men, 

 clergymen, and jnominent citizens, and as many more corresponding 

 members, among av horn Avere all the leading men of the country. Among 

 its principal otticers were the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the 

 I*^avy, ex-President Adams, the Chief of Engineers of the Army, and 

 other prominent officials. The meetings were well attended, the mem- 

 bership was enthusiastic, gifts of books and specimens began to flow in, 

 and the prospects of the society looked very bright. 



In his discourse* on the objects and importance of the iSTational In- 

 stitution, delivered January 5, 1841, its president, Mr. Poinsett, referred 

 Itointedly to the Smith son bequest, saying that it offered a favorable 

 occasion for carrying into effect all the important objects connected 

 with a national institution, such as that just being organized in Wash- 

 ington, enabling the Government to afford all necessary proteQtion to 

 the promotion of science and the useful artst without the exercise of any 

 doubtful power, etc. 



Soon after this, in February, Senators Linn and Preston, both mem- 

 l)ers of tlie National Institution, proposed new bills for the organiza- 

 tion of the Smithsonian Institution, at the same time reporting a bill 

 to incorporate the National Institution for the Promotion of Science. 



By these bills the entire management of the Smithsonian fund was 

 to be intrusted to the National Institution. Its officers, a superin- 

 tendent, and six professors were to be nominated by that society, which 

 was also to prescribe their duties. Provision was made for joint occu- 

 pancy by the two institutions of buildings to be erected at the cost of 

 the Smithson bequest, and finally it was required — 



That all collections of works of art and of natural history owned by 

 the United States, not otherwise assigned (or "all wcu'ks of art, and 

 all books relating thereto, an<l all collections and curiosities belonging 

 to the United States in tlie ])ossession of any of the Executixe Dei»a.rt- 

 ments and not necessarily conuected with the duties thereof") shall be 

 deposited in said buildings (or "shall l)e transferred to said institutioD, 

 to be there preserved and arranged"). 



In these bills, drawn up in 1810, may be found the germ of the Na- 

 tional Museum idea, even to the extent of a proposition for an appro- 



* Discourse, p. 49. 



t The avowed objects of the Natioual lustitutiou. 



