282 MEMORIAL OF JOSEPH HENRY. 



the course of a dozen years amounted to about 40,000 volumes: 

 and the annual cost of binding, superintendence, and the constant 

 enlargement of room and of cases, was becoming a serious tax upon 

 the resources of the Institution. The propriety of transferring the 

 custody of this valuable and rapidly increasing collection to the 

 National Library established by Congress, was repeatedly urged 

 upon the attention of that body : and by an Act approved April 

 5th, 1866, such transfer was at last effected. 



" Congress had presented to the Institution a portion of the pub- 

 lic reservation on which the building is situated. In the planting 

 of this with trees, nearly 10,000 dollars of the Smithson income 

 were expended." Ultimately however opportunity was taken to 

 have the Smithsonian park included in the general appropriation 

 by the Government for improving the public grounds. 



The courses of Lectures which were continued from their estab- 

 lishment in 1849, to 1863, were then abandoned. In conformity 

 with the judicious policy entertained from the beginning not to 

 consume unprofitably the limited means of the Institution by 

 attempting to do what could be as well or better accomplished 

 by other organizations, its herbarium comprising 30,000 botanical 

 specimens and other allied objects, was transferred to the custody 

 of the Agricultural Department. Its collection of anatomical and 

 osteological specimens was transferred to the Army Medical Mu- 

 seum. And its Fine-Art collections were transferred to the custody 

 of the "Art-Gallery" established at Washington (with a larger 

 endowment than the whole Smithsonian fund) by the enlightened 

 liberality of Mr. W: W. Corcoran. 



Such were the successive processes by which much of the early 

 and injudicious legislative work of organization, intended for pop- 

 ularising the activities of the Institution, was gradually undone; 

 greatly to the dissatisfaction and foreboding of many of its well- 

 meaning friends. "It should be recollected" said Henry, "that 

 the Institution is not a popular establishment."* 



* Smithsonian Report for 1876, p. 12. A distinguished politician, now many years 

 deceased, (an influential Member of Congress and possible statesman,) in the con- 

 fidence of friendship pointed out with emphasis, how by a few judicious expedi- 

 entsinvolving only a moderate reduction of the income of the Institution, golden 

 opinions might be won from the press, and the Smithsonian really be made quite 



