THE GENESIS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 305 



m<^ of the National Institution on tlie 13tli December, 1841, wliicli is in 

 tlie tbllowinj*' words: 



Bcsolrcd, That a eommittee of tour members be appointed by tlie 

 ebair to examine tlie subject of exchanges, to propose a plan for that 

 purpose, and to report fully thereon to the institution for its further 

 consideration and action — 



bog leave, in pursuance of the directions of the said resolution, to report: 



That the duty devolved on the committee by the resolution is, first, 

 to examine the .subject of exchanges; second, to propose a plan of ex- 

 changes; and third, to report thereon to the Institution. In reference 

 to the first point, viz, '^tlie examination of the subject,'' the committee 

 state that they have examined the subject, and that the result has been 

 a full conviction of miiul that a system of exchanges is of very great 

 importance in the accomplishment of one of the primary objects for 

 which the I^ational Institution has been declared to be formed, viz. 

 ''the establishment of a national museum of natural history," etc. Ex- 

 changes entei' essentially into the plan of every society constituted as 

 tlie National Institution and having like objects in view, and no occa- 

 sion has been omitted to acquaint societies and individuals, whose cor- 

 respondence has been sought by or ottered to the National Institution, 

 that a system of general exchanges would be entered upon as soon as 

 the Institution should be able to mature a plan for that purpose. Under 

 this assurance, and indejiendently of it, also, it should be added, valu- 

 able collections of various kinds have already been received by the 

 institution, which is thus already })laced in a position which makes it 

 incumbent on us to redeem the pledge that has been given. The com- 

 mittee consider it superfiuous to dwell upon the advantages of ex- 

 changes, but they wish the members to know that for this object they 

 have already in hands the most aliundant materials — materials which 

 are increasing and will continue to increase every day. These materi- 

 als ccmsist of contributions made by members, by individuals who are 

 not members, by societies and institutions at home and abroad, and by 

 foreign governments, as well as of those accessions that have been made 

 by the exploring expedition, which has already sent home an inex- 

 haustable (juantity and variety of duplicates. It is well known to the 

 institution that the collections received from all these sources are 

 equally and absolutely the ])roperty of the Government, and that there- 

 fore the permission of the Government is indispensable to enable the 

 Institution to part with the duplicates derived trom all these sources. 

 This permission, it is believed, will be cheerfully acc(»rded. At the same 

 time the committee, for obvious reasons, (h) not think it jinqier to ask the 

 Government to allow the Institution to part with any of the duplicates 

 of the exploring expedition until the squadrim shall have returned. 



In reference to the second point, viz: A plan of exchanges, the com- 

 mittee do not feel called upon or competent to enter into details. These 

 must be left in a good degree to those whom the Institution may see 

 fit to charge with the execution of the plan, in which of course they 

 will be governed by the practice of other institutions, and by such 

 regulations as it may become expedient to adojit from time to time to 

 suit our own convenience and peculiar ciicunistances. Here, however, 

 on the threshold of the plan which the committee mean to propose, they 

 regard it of consequence to suggest for the sanction of the Institution 

 that in exchanges of all kinds the natural productions of our country 

 shall first and always have a decided preference. A great and leading 

 BM 91, I'T 2 20 



