THE GENESIS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 365 



not fail to operate injuriously upou persons employed and upon their duties, as it 

 is difficult to say Avho is their head, who shall direct or superintend their operations, 

 or who shall decide upon the projiriety of expenditures, and to whom they are ac- 

 countable. 



It is clear, to our judgment, that the desired and necessary control can not well l)e 

 exercised by the Library Committee. This committee can not be considered as 

 present, upon an average, for more than six months of each year; and when present 

 the legislative functions of its members must occupy each greater part of their time 

 and minds. "^ It is equally clear that these powei's can not be well exercised by the 

 Navy Department. In addition to its other various and highly important duties, 

 there is no kindred occupation in any of its interesting functions which would give 

 to it the means of judging of the proper occupation of the persons employed upon 

 the collections, or of the propriety or appropriateness of any expenditure which may 

 be made; nor can it devote the time requisite to superintend either occupations or 

 exi)enditures. Under such circumstances surprise should not be created if disap- 

 pointment were to bo experienced in reference to anticipated results from Govern- 

 ment patronage. The Institute, as before remarked, possessing neither influence nor 

 authority, can exercise no control ; and although it may, as a consequence, be free 

 from responsibility, it can not, in our opinion, be exempt from serious anxieties, nor 

 from that moral responsibility which the country already attaches to it from its 

 charter and from a general impression of the power it is supposed to possess. And 

 yet it seems to us that the Institute is the most suitable agent for such purposes. It 

 is always present; the very intuition of its organization was to promote matters of 

 science, to arrange and preserve specimens of natural history, and to advise on sub- 

 jects connected therewith. It ought to be supposed that the Institute i)ossesse8 

 among its members competent knowledge for such duties and that it has all the 

 devotion and zeal and exclusiveness of feeling which the well-being of matters of 

 science requires. During the period when the Institute exercised more influence 

 than now its vigilant vice-president w^as daily in his rooms, and for hours, advising 

 and directing, to the great benefit of its management and to the prevention of many 

 an injudicious expenditure. 



In addition to these considerations, the organization of the Institute renders it 

 peculiarly deserving of the confidence of Government, as it can offer, as an agent for 

 Government proiierty and Government expenditures, a board of its own officers. 



The officers of the Institute consist of a i)resident, vice-president, two secretaries, 

 one treasurer, and twelve directors. ' Six of these twelve directors are the heads of 

 Government Departments, namely, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the 

 Treasury, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Navy, the Attorney-General, 

 and the Postnuister-General. These are director's ex officio, and constitute the De- 

 partments through which all Government expenditures are made. Six others sire 

 elected by the Institute from among its members. These six at present are the 

 honorable Mr. AVoodbury, the honorable Mr. Preston, Mr. Dayton, Fourth Auditor, 

 Commodore Warriuton, of the Navy, Col. Totten, of the Corps of Engineers, and 

 Col. Abert, of the Corps of Topographical Engineers, t 



These are the whole of those who are recognized by the charter as ''officers of the 

 Institute," and constitute by the charter ''a board of management for the fiscal con- 

 cerns of the Institute."' 



* This committee also expires on the 4th of every other March, and in consequence 

 it can exercise no control, either directly or indirectly, until after the election of a 

 new committee at the ensuing December session of Congress. 



t Since this paper was written a new election of directors has taken place, namely, 

 on the 25th .Fanuary, 1843, when the honorable Mr. Walker was chosen in the place 

 of the honorable Mr. Preston, who could no longer attend, and Commodore Maury, of 

 the Navy, was chosen in the place of Commodore Warrington, who was unwilling to 

 servo. 



