THE APRIL MEETING, 1844. 421 



DIRECTORS OM THE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT. 



Honorable DANIEL WEBSTER, Secretary of State. 

 W. FORWARD, Secretary of the Treasury. 

 J. C. SPENCER, Secretary of War. 

 A. P. UPSHUR, Secretary of the Navy. ■ 

 CHAS . WICKLIFFE, Postmaster General. 

 HUGH S. LEGARE, Attorney General. 



DIRECTORS ON THE PART OF THE INSTITUTE. 



Honorable W. C. PRESTON, United States Senate. 



LEVI WOODBURY, United States Senate. 

 Colonel JOHN J. ABERT, Corps of Top. Engineers. 



" J. G. TOTTEN, Corps of Engineers. 

 A. O. DAYTON, Esq., Fourth Auditor. 

 Commodore L. WARRINGTON, United States Navy. 



SECOND CIRCULAR 



Washington, February 24, 1843. 

 To the Friends and Correspondents of the National Institute and the Members of 

 Scientific and Learned Societies of the United States, §-c., ^c, d-c. 

 On the 15th October last a circular was addressed to the scientific and literary 

 men of the United States, transmitting a copy of certain proceedings of the Na- 

 tional Institute for the Promotion of Science, and inviting particular attention to 

 that portion of the proceedings which contemplated the general meeting proposed 

 by the Institute to be held at the seat of Government. 



This circular was, at first, attempted to be sent directly to individuals, but it waa 

 soon found impracticable to address all who were entitled to special invitation. 

 The members of the Institute, and those who had, in various ways, most liberally 

 contributed to the promotion of its objects, were of course expected to attend; yet 

 the difficulty of obtaining all tlie names and residences of others, eminent in the 

 various branches of knowledge, rendered it necessary to resort to a more general 

 mode of effecting the purpose. With this view, the circular was published in the 

 papers of the District of Columbia, and was thus made general. 



The object of the first circular was, not to fix on any particular time for the 

 meeting, nor was it intended by the Institute or the committee, to make Washing- 

 ton the place of all subsequent meetings, if it should appear to be contrary to the 

 judgment of those who had the right to decide upon such an important question. 

 It was rather to obtain preliminary views of the friends of the Institute, and 

 general information, as to the time and mode of convening ; and, afterwards, to 

 adopt a plan and a time, (which might be gathered from the replies of those whose 

 opinions had been solicited,) to be the most convenient. 



These replies have been numerous and interesting, and present, almost without 

 exception, a decided approbation of the step that has been recommended, as well as 

 of the course of the Institute, under the auspices of which that step has been be- 

 gun. The committee, after having carefully considered these replies, have come to 

 the conclusion that the month of April, 1844, is the period which will beat suit the 

 convenience of all. 



The committee wero aware that several previous attempts had been made to get 

 up a similar meeting upon the plan of the British Association, and thit those 



No. 3. 26 



