REPORT ON THE PROGRESS AND CONDITION OF 



THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM FOR 



THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1912. 



By Richard Rathbun, 



Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution^ 



in charge of the U. S. National Museum. 



INCEPTION AND HISTORY. 



The Congress of the United States in the act of August 10, 1846, 

 founding the Smithsonian Institution recognized that an opportunity 

 was afforded, in carrying out the large-minded design of Smithson, 

 to provide for the custody of the museum of the Nation. To this 

 new establishment was therefore intrusted the oare of the national 

 collections, a course that time has fully justified. 



In the beginning the cost of maintaining the museum aide of the 

 Institution's work was wholly paid from the Smithsonian income; 

 then for a time the Government, bore a share, and during the past 36 

 years Congress has voted the entire funds for the expenses of the 

 Museum, thus furthering one of the primary means " for the increase 

 and diffusion of knowledge among men " without encroaching upon 

 the resources of the Institution. 



The museum idea was inherent in the establishment of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, which in its turn was based upon a 10 years' dis- 

 cussion in Congress and the advice of the most distinguished scien- 

 tific men, educators, and intellectual leaders of the Nation of 70 

 years ago. It is interesting to note how broad and comprehensive 

 were the views which actuated our lawmakers in determining the 

 scope of the Museum, a fact especially remarkable when it is recalled 

 that at that date no museum of considerable size existed in the 

 United States, and the museums of England and of the continent of 

 Europe were still to a large extent Avithout a developed plan, although 

 containing many rich collections. 



The Congress which passed the act of foundation enumerated as 

 within the scope of the Museum " all objects of art and of foreign 

 and curious research and all objects of natural history, plants, and 



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