368 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1891. 



This law should, iu our opiuion, contain provisions investing — 



(1) The Board of Managers of the National Institute with the custody of all the 

 Government collections which have been received or which may hereafter be received 

 from the exploring squadron or other sources, with authority to make all necessary 

 arrangements to preserve or exhibit the same, to regulate, under the supervision of 

 the President of the United States, the number and compensations of persons em- 

 ployed on said duties, and to superintend the public dislnirsements in relation 

 thereto. 



(2) To authorize the said board to exchange any of the duplicates of said collec- 

 tions with other institutions, or with State collections, or with individuals, and to 

 re(iuire the board annually to lay before the President of the United States, to be by 

 him laid before Congress, a full account of their proceedings under this law. 



(3) To direct the said board to furnish to the persons who shall be employed in 

 the writing or publication of the voyage and discoveries of the exploring squadron 

 all desired facilities. 



[Copied from original draft of Col. Abert.J 



NOTE D. 



Washington, March 10, 1843. 

 Hon. RoBEKT J. Walker, 



United States Senator : 



Dear Sir: "We beg leave to call your attention to Senate Document No. 233, of 

 the 28th ultimo, being a report made by the Hon. Mr. Tappan, as from the joint 

 Committee of Congress on the Library, to which had been referred " A bill for the 

 preservation of the collection of natural curiosities furnished by the exploring squad- 

 ron, and from other sources," together with " remarks submitted by Mr. Markoeand 

 Col. Abert." 



The "remarks'' to which the report refers were made, as you will recollect, and, 

 as is distinctly stated in the first paragraph of them, at your request, Avere intended 

 to satisfy your mind of the propriety of the measure we wished you to befriend, and 

 were addressed to you nut only as the well-known friend and advocate of the Insti- 

 tute, but also as the chairman of t)ne of its important committees, and as a director 

 and consequently member of the Board of Management. They passed into the 

 hands of the committee, of which Mr. Tappan is a member, without any desire on 

 our part, and Avithout our knowledge (certainly, however, with no unwillingness 

 that they should be read by the whole world), and, under these circumstances, we 

 respectfully submit to you Avhether the attack upon us by the honorable Senator 

 has not been as unprovoked as a reference to our remarks will prove it to have been 

 unmerited. 



We can not suppose, as Mr. Tappan supposes, that you had not read our " Remarks " 

 before you laid them before the Library Committee, therefore take it for granted 

 that you did not perceive the '' direct insult" to the committee which is so palpable 

 to Mr, Ta])pau, or you Avould not have consented to be the medium through which 

 the insult'was conveyed. On the contrary, we have every reason to suppose that you 

 liad made yourself perfectly acquainted with the character and scope; of " our re- 

 marks " — remarks hastily put together, and meant to atlbrd limits and memoranda 

 for your consideration and use, to illustrate the necessity or advantage of the meas- 

 ure recommended. They were certainly iu>t intended or calculated to give offense in 

 any quarter. We will therefore occupy your time by pointing to two paragraphs, 

 only, of the ''Report," which we quote in answer to two serious allegations made 

 against us by the honorable Senator. You will, judge whether they have any just 

 foundation. 



Mr, Tapj»an says: " The case i)resents t\v<> Qrti<i*rs of the (Jovernuient, one at tbb 



