386 PROCEEDINGS OF [1845. 



ponding ftlembers, and of the Societies, Instiluliong, &.C., at home and abroad, in 

 con-espoadence with tlio National Institute. 



PETER FORCE, Vice President. 



FRANCIS MARKOE, Jr., Corresponding Sec'y. 



JOHN K. TOWNSEND. Recording Secretary. 



GEORGE W. RIGGS, Jr., Treasurer. 



JOHN C. SPENCER, 1 



JOHN NELSON, \ Directors, ex-officio, on the 



VVM. WILKINS, f part of the Government. 



C. A. WICKLIFFE, J 



LEVI WOODBURY, ' 



Directors on the. part of the 



R. J. WALKER, 



J. J. ABEltT, ,^tl^^,u,<< u.. ...r, i„., ,, v.^ 



JOSEi'H G. TOTTEN, f National Institute. 

 A. O. DAYTON, | 



M. F. iVIAURY, J 



Wasiii.voton Citt, March 18, 1844. 



MEMORIAL OF THE FRIENDS OF SCIENCE WHO ATTENTED THE 

 APRIL MEETING OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE. 



To the Congress of the United States. — The respectful Memorial of the friends of 

 Science, assembled at the City of Washington, from various parts of the Union. 



The undersigned have come together at the capital of the United Slates, at the 

 call of the National Institute for the Promotion of Science, with the purpose of 

 communicating to eacli other the facts and reasonings in science which each one's 

 research might have suggested, and of interchanging views and opinions in regard 

 to the progress of science in our country. 



Wliile engrossed in this delightful and most profitable communion, we have had 

 an opportunity to observe tlie results of the etTorts made by tlie members of the 

 National Institute for the advancetneut of science. Founded only four years 

 since, tliey have already brought together valuable collections in natural history 

 and in the arts. Connecting themselves with the Government, through the beads 

 of Departments, who, by virtue of tiieir offices, are directors of the Institute, they 

 have voluntarily imposed restraints upon the operations of the Institute, which will 

 preserve its national character, and prevent its being tributary to any local or sec 

 tional purpose. By making tlie Institute merely a trustee tor the United States 

 of the property which it possesses, and may hereafter acquire, they have proved 

 that no sordid or interested views guided tiieui in framing their constitution. The 

 zeal and industry shown in making collections, the disinterestedness in the disposi- 

 tion of them, would seem to deserve from the Govennncnt of the republic approval 

 and encouragement. The value of the property already collected, although the 

 existence of the Institute has been so sliort, is very great. And yet it has no 

 building for the convenient exhibition of its treasures, or even for their safe keep- 

 ing. And if articles of so much interest and value have already been collected, 

 what may not bo expected from the army, the navy, and friends of science gen. 

 erally, in the long rcich of yeaisto come, if a suitable place can be provided for 

 their preservation and exhibition. Hut how are the means of providing such a 

 building to be obtained? If attained at all for audi a purpose by voluntary con- 

 tributions, it could only be in llie midst of large and flourisliing communities. 

 Local feelings of interest or pride cannot be transt'erred, and it is not to be expect- 

 ed tiiat the means to arrange, display, preserve, and augment these collections, can 

 be procured by voluntary contributions of individuals in the Di^^trict of Columbia, 

 or that they can be procured out of the Dihlricl. There is no civilized nation, 

 however narrow its policy in other respects, which does not exhibit some measure 

 of interest iii promoting the advancement of human knowledge. In most coun- 

 tries science receives direct encouragement, and many Governnionls have vied with 

 each other in their efforts to advance this cause. The (iovernmcnt of a country 

 rinulous to consider itself among the liret of enlightened nations, we trust, will 

 not refute to aid in securing to its ca]>ital the benefits of the labors of the Na- 



