18 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



Department of State, a.s it has in the previous conferences. The 

 invitation requested the appointment of delegates prepared to pledge 

 their governments to definite support of tlie undertaking; and to meet 

 this condition the Secretary of State urged upon Congress an appro- 

 priation of $10,000 for the purpose. As Congress adjourned without 

 making the grant, it appeared that no authority existed to send a 

 representative to the conference with the powers stipulated in the 

 terms of the invitation, and accordingly none was sent. This result 

 is greatly to be deplored, since probably no country has a larger inter- 

 est in scientific bibliography than the United States. 



So keenly was the absence of American co-operation felt, and the 

 danger of the entire failure of the undertaking was so apparent should 

 American aid not be forthcoming, that the Secretary inf orniall}^ agreed 

 to draw upon the slender resources of the Institution temporarily, and 

 furnish to this international undertaking an index of American scientific 

 literature. 



It is hoped that in some way Congress may ))e brought to see the 

 importance of this undertaking, and make adequate provision. It 

 would constitute a real reproach to the country, should America not do 

 its share in this work. 



GALLERY OF ART. 



The act of foundation of the Institution declares (section 5586 of the 

 Revised Statutes) that ' ' whenever suitable arrangements can be made 

 from time to time for their reception, all objects of art and of foreign 

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

 logical and mineralogical specimens belonging to the United States 

 * * * shall be delivered to such persons as may be authorized by 

 the Board of Regents to receive them, and shall be so arranged and 

 classified in the l)uilding erected for the Institution as best to facilitate 

 the examination and study of them;" so that the first object of the 

 Institution, in the eyes of its founders, appears to have been to give 

 it the curatorship of the art collections of the nation. 



During its early 3"ears this object was promoted in various ways; 

 among others by the purchase of a very valuable collection of prints 

 and engravings belonging to the Hon. George P. Marsh. After the 

 fire in the Institutioii in 1865 these prints were deposited for tempo- 

 rary safe keeping in the Library of Congress and (with other works 

 of art) in the Corcoran Gallery. 



Subsequent!}^ an appropriation was granted by Congress for making 

 a fireproof room in which these could be kept, but it was not until 1896 

 that the Regents provided for their recall to the Institution. In the 

 journal of the proceedings of the Board for 1896 (Smithsonian Report, 

 1896, pp. xiii and xiv) will be found the action taken by the Board 



