330 REPORT OP NATIONAL MUREUM, 189i. 



At this time tlierc were tweiity-seveii pMyiiii;' meiulters, oftlie society, 

 and its iucoine was less than $150 yearly. * 



Mr. 0. F. Staiisbury, the Secretary ot tlie Institute, acted as its 

 agent for the World's Fair, and obtained there some specimens for its 

 n)nseuni, and in 1.S50 others were received from the ISTew York Exhibi 

 tion. 



It Would appear from the records of this time that there was still a 

 "Gallery of Curiosities" in the Patent Olhce not in the custody of the 

 National Institute, t 



In 1854 the ( 'ommissioner of Patents, for many years vested with a 

 measure of authority by the Library Committee, was given by Con 

 gress| the administration of the collections and authorized to employ 

 keepers, and a trifling ai)propriation was made to be expended nnder 

 the Department of the Interior — an arrangement which continued for 

 three subsequent years. 



[n 1857, the Smithsonian Institution having definitely accepted the 

 responsibility of caring for the national collections, all the articles 

 deposited with tlie ISTational Institute were removed. In addition to 

 these there Avere numerous objects directly under the control of the 

 National Institute which the officers would not i^erinit to be removed. 

 There Avas evidently still a lingering hope that Congress would make 

 provision for the care of the collections. In this same year, 1858, 

 another memorial was sent to Congress, asking for an appvopiia-tiou for 

 preserving tlie collections of oV)jects of natural history intrusted to 

 their care. Tliis was unfavorably repinted ujion by the Senate com- 

 mittee (see BibHograpliy under Brown) and in the House was referred 

 to the Committee on the District of Columbia, whose report showed 

 that "the collections are now in the Smithsonian Institution" fRhoes, 

 Documents, p. 053]. 



Same of these were, it is true, but there was still a miscellaneous 

 collectiou, including many valuable objects, in the hall of the Patent 



The following letter will serve to explain the nature of the ties, by which a part 

 at least of the niemhers were liekl to the organization : 



Smithsonian iNSTiTUTio.y, Jan nary 5, 185-2. 



Mv Dear Sm: I lieg- leave through you to thank the members of the National In- 

 stitute for the honor they conferred u])on me by my election as one of the vice-presi- 

 (lents, and to refiuest that I may not be considered a candidate for reelection. 



I shall continue to be a nieml)er and hold myself responsible for my portion of the 

 debt unavoidably incurred by the executi\e committee. It is my oidnionthat under 

 its present organization the Institiitiou can not advance the cause of American science, 

 and that it may be productive of nnich evil. 



I remain, very truly, your friend and servant, 



.TosicPH Henry. 



Peter Fori;k, Esq. 



P. S.— I think it would be best to appoint a committee to inquire into Ihe state of 

 the Institution, and to advise as to what is to be done, and how the debts which 

 have been incurred arc to be paid. J. H. 



t Proc. Nat. Inst., new scries, i, pp. 47-48, 



t Act of August 4 — Statutes x, 552. 



