THE (iENESIS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 343 



ing the purpose of Congress respecting permanent provision for these 

 collections,* 



Tlie appropriation of IS.")!, referred to by the Attorney-General, was 

 one giving -$15,000 for the constrnction of eases and $2,000 for the re- 

 moval of the collectious. (March 3, l-SoT. 11 Stats., 219.) 



In commenting upon this action, Prof, Henry, in his repr>rt for 1857, 

 remarked : 



At the last session of Congress an ai)propriation was made for the 

 construction and erection of cases to receive the collections of the 

 United States exploring expedition and others in Washington, and 

 also for the transfer and arrangement of the siiecimens This appro- 

 priation AA^as granted in accordance with the recommendation of the 

 late Secretary of the Interior and the Commissioner of Patents, in 

 order that the large room in the Patent Office occupied by the museum 

 might be used for the more legitimate purposes of tliat establishment. 

 We i)resume that the other jiait (»f the recommendation will also be 

 carried out, namely, that the annual appropriation be continued which 

 has heretofore been made for the care of this i)ortion of the Govern- 

 ment property. While, on the one hand, no appropriation should be 

 made which would serve to lessen tlie distinctive character of Smith- 

 son's bequest, on the other it is evident that the Government should 

 not impose any burdens upon the Institution which would impair its 

 usefulness or divert its funds iTom their legitimate purpose.1 



In 1853, by the act of June 2 (11 Stats., 301), an approiuiation of 

 $4,000, '"for the preservation of the collection oi' the ex]floring and sur- 

 veying expeditions of tlie Government," was made as a contingent ex- 

 pense in the office of the Secretiiry of tlie Interior. 



The management of this aj)]>ropriation and of all which followed it 

 from year to year was always })Iaced entirely in the hands of the Sec- 

 retary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



In the rei>ort tor 1858, Prof. Henry gave the following concise his- 

 tory of the relations of the Smithsonian histitntioii to the national 

 collections: 



It will be recollected that by the law of (Congress incorporating this 

 Institution "all ol)jects of art and (if foreign and curious research, and 

 all objects of natural liistpry, plants, and geological and mineralogical 

 specimens belonging to, or hereafter to belong to the United States 

 which may be in the city of \yasldngton, in whosesoever custody the 

 same may be, shall be delivered to such persons as may be authorized 

 by the Board of liegents ,to receive them." 



The law thus giving to the Smithsonian Institution all specimens 

 illustrative of nature and art to be found in the several ofiflces and de- 

 l>artments of Government was not construed as rendering it obligatory 

 on the liegents to accept these objects if they <'onsi<lered it expedient 

 to do so. Inasmuch, then, as this collection Avas neither essential to 

 the plan of organization nor directly subservient to the comprehensive 

 purpose of the donor in regard to a world-wide l)enetit, it was the ulti- 

 mate decision of a majority of the Board that it ought not to be ac- 



* Letter of Hou. William 1>\ Vilas, Seci-ctary of the luteriur, to the Secretary of the 

 Smithsonian Institution. 



t Smithsonian Report, 18n7, p. 14. 



