THE GENESIS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 367 



the sqiiadron. We are too sensible of its excellence and too conscious of the aid it 

 has been to the Institute to entertain any siich idea, and we fully and most highly 

 appreciate the intelligent labor and industry of its collectors. But its specimens 

 neither exhaust our admiration or our wants, nor render us insensil)le to the highly 

 valuable and continually increasing supplies from other sources, nor relieve us from 

 the conviction that upon other sources we must principally rely, if our desire be to 

 extend the collection to a iioint worthy of tlie national character or of comparison 

 with similar institutions iu other countries. 



Injustice to the Institute it should also be borne in milul that, but fot itf? efforts, 

 these Very specimens from the, exploring squadron would have been scattered, tv^e 

 know not where; and but for those eft'ortsthe scientific describer might have searched 

 iu vain for a specimen ujjou which to found a descripti<m or to prove a discovery. 

 It is to the Institute, chiefly, that those who gathered these specimens are indebted 

 for the presimt collected results of their great industry and intelligence. 



Second. The next matter which we desire to bring to your notice is the right of 

 disposing of duplicate specimens. Our efforts to exchange have been paralyzed for 

 the want of this right. The institute is now seriously indebted to foreign govern- 

 ments, to foreign and domestic institutions, and to individuals, on the principle of 

 exchanges, because the Institute has not the right to dispose of specimens, although 

 its cases are loaded with duplica'tes. The collections of the Government being placed 

 in the Institute on deposite, the committee upon exchanges have not felt themselves 

 at liberty to use a specimen. We have heard, with extreme regret, that it is con- 

 templated to give all duplicates back to the collectors. Such a course, in our opin- 

 ion, would be ruinous in the extreme, as it would destroy one of the great means of 

 increasing the collection by a system of exchanges. And as these collectors were 

 amply paid for their labors, we can see no reason for such a course in justice or 

 equity. Nor can we believe that such a course is desired liy the scientific corps of 

 the expedition, for, while other men of science are daily making collections, at their 

 own expense, and sending them to the Institute, many as presents, some in expecta- 

 tion of exchanges, it would place the gentlemen of this corps low iu the scale of con- 

 tributors to science if, after having been so long and so liberally jiaid for their labors, 

 they should yet desire the result of these labors to be given liack to them. Moreover, 

 we have understood that by far the greater number of these specimens were actually 

 l)Ought by the collectors from funds furnished by the United States. We can see, 

 therefore, no reason whatever that they should be returned unless the Government 

 is disposed to abandon all idea of forming an enlarged scientific and interesting 

 National Museum. 



From our remarks, then, it will appear that, in our judgment, there are serious de- 

 fects in the present condition of aftairs which required to be remedied: one, in the 

 absence of a responsible and adetiuate supervision of the arrangement and preserva- 

 tion of the collections and of the ]>ersons and expenditures iu reference thereto; the 

 other, iu the absence of authority to dispose of 'duijlieates. These defects can be 

 properly remedied only by legislative provision. 



We desire it to be distinctly understood that our reasouiug liiis no reference to the 

 publication of the results of the voyage, l)ut is limited solely to the preservation, 

 arrangement, and exhibition of the collections. We think, however, that the Insti- 

 tute might be able also to give acceptable opinions, even in reference tothfe i»ul)lica- 

 tion — its formandstyle of execution. But as there is an anxiety to possess this power 

 by others, and as it is already placed elsewhere, we do not seek to interfere with it, 

 not doubting that in all its parts it will equal similar publications by other govern- 

 ments and justify the anticiiiations which are now entertained of it by the leai'iied 

 world. 



Having thus expressed onr general views on these several subjects, we will con- 

 clude by an effort to condense them in a manner that will admit of their being incor- 

 porated in a law. 



