370 GRANTS FOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS. 



An able exposition, in brief detail, has been drawn up 

 by Dr Henry, of the way in which knowledge is to be 

 increased, by offering rewards for memoirs containing 

 new truths, and by setting aside sums of money for re 

 searches, by specified parties, upon specific subjects and 

 diffused generally, by means of periodical reports on the 

 progress of science, like those begun twenty years ago 

 by the British Association, the publication of popular 

 and useful treatises and, locally, by lectures in the Insti 

 tution during the session of Congress. It w r ill no doubt 

 be left to Dr Henry, as secretary of the Institution, to 

 execute the plan he has so clearly sketched, and so far 

 ably carried forward. For the sake of the American 

 mind, it is to be desired that the changes so often seen 

 in the bureaus of the several departments of State may 

 not intrude themselves also into the retreats of science ; 

 and that, as the founder of this Institution has so empha 

 tically illustrated the principle, u that science is of no 

 country,&quot; so, by gifting it with permanent as well as 

 able officers, should the successive holders of high poli 

 tical dignity show that in America &quot; science is of no 

 party.&quot; 



So far the encouragement given to positive and expe 

 rimental science by the general Government, as well as 

 by the Legislatures of the several States, has been ex 

 ceedingly creditable to all, and has been evidently dic 

 tated by an enlightened desire to develop, as early as 

 possible, the boundless natural resources of the broad 

 regions they govern. The States, as I have already 

 mentioned, have nearly all employed scientific men to 

 make geological and other surveys, more or less com 

 plete, and the general Government has done the same 

 for the territories. While I was at Washington, Mr 

 Douglas, one of the senators from Illinois, had a bill 

 before the House to make provision for more complete 

 surveys of this kind, by granting to each State of the 



