REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 39 



fifty copies additional of all documents printed in excess of the usual 

 number, together with lift}' copies of each publication issued by any 

 department or bureau of the Government, l)e placed at the disposal 

 of the Joint Committee on the Library, who shall exchange the same, 

 through the agency of the Smithsonian Institution, for such works 

 published in foreign countries, and especialh' by foreign governments, 

 as may be deemed bv said committee an equivalent; said works to be 

 deposited in the Library of Congress." 



In accordance with this the United States has since that time presented, 

 through the Smithsonian Institution, a complete set of its official pub- 

 lications to the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, through the Bureau des 

 Echanges Internationaux. 



In 1886, Belgium, Brazil, Itah', Portugal, Servia, and Spain entered 

 into a convention at Brussels to which the United States was a party, 

 by which they agreed to reciprocal arrangements as to the manner of 

 exchanging both official and literary and scientific publications as well 

 as the expenses of shipment and the establishment of offices. 



To this convention France was a signatory, but did not ev^entually 

 become a part3\ 



The French ^Government, however, appears to have established a 

 bureau, '*des Echanges Internationaux," 



On February 8, 1879, the Smithsonian Instijtution addressed a request 

 to Baron de Vatteville, Commissionaire des Echanges Internationaux, 

 requesting * * * "not merely the special publications of some of 

 the scientific bureaus, but a series of ever3^thing published b}" the 

 State, as complete as that which we send, to inclucie the records of the 

 legislature of the Republic, its reports upon education, statistics, com- 

 merce, navigation, topographical and geological explorations, etc." 



The returns made on account of this appeal have never been satis- 

 factory, and while the various departments and offices of the French 

 Government have from time to time sent in exchange some French 

 Government publications, the receipts have been wholly inadequate, 

 being less than one-fifth of the amount sent by the United States, and 

 consisting of ordinary reports, with few publications of intrinsic 

 value. 



In this connection, I beg to state that in June, 1895, accompanied 

 by the then American minister, Mr. Eustis, I visited the Ministre 

 de I'lnstruction Publique et des Beaux Arts to obtain an improvement 

 of the International Exchange System in this particular, and also with 

 regard to the scientific and literary exchanges mentioned. He then 

 promised the American minister that he would apply to the French 

 Chambers for an additional grant for this bureau. He 'also promised 

 that he would demand an act for the better doing of this and to pro- 

 vide means of sending these publications more frequently, at least 

 every month. He also promised that a separate set would be sent to 

 the liljrary of the Institution. 



I have received an official and written statement from Mr. Eustis 

 to the same effect. 



You will see from the inclosed copy of a letter written on the part 

 of the minister of foreign affairs by the minister plenipotentiary on 

 July ^1>, 1895, that it is officially stated that the Ministre de ITnstruc- 

 tion Publique et des Beaux Arts has resolved to ask of Parliament a 

 ''majoration'' of credit for the International Exchanges, and, further 

 than this, that he intends to have an arrangement with the different 



