ADVERTISEMENT. 



The Smithsonian Institution is an establishment based upon the pri- 

 vate foundation of James Smithson, a British subject, which was 

 accepted by the United States in trust. This establishment was created 

 by an act of Congress, under which act, with one or two unimportant 

 modifications, it has since been governed. The United States Govern- 

 ment has, from time to time, assigned to it important functions, and 

 Congress has passed laws and made appropriations in support of these. 

 While, therefore, it is a private foundation, of which the Government 

 is trustee, it has in itself an extensive legislative history. 



The Board of Regents in January, 1878, requested the Secretary to 

 prepare and publish a history of the origin and progress of the insti- 

 tution, and, in accordance with this, a volume was published in 1879 

 under the title "The Smithsonian Institution: Documents Relative to 

 its Origin and History," in which were contained the will of James 

 Smithson, the proceedings in Congress relative to the acceptance of the 

 bequest, the organization of the Institution, and various matters rela- 

 tive to its operations from 1835 to 1877. 



A second volume relating to the history of the Institution was pub- 

 lished in 1879, under the title "The Smithsonian Institution: Journals 

 of the Board of Regents, Reports of Committees, Statistics, etc.," 

 edited by William J. Rhees. 



At the conclusion of the first half century of the Institution, in 1896, 

 a volume was published under the editorial supervision of the late 

 Dr. G. Brown Goode, giving an account of the history, achievements, 

 and present condition of the Institution, prepared by the Secretary and 

 members of the staff of the Institution, to which were added chapters 

 in appreciation of the work of the Institution in the several branches 

 of knowledge. 



The present volume has been undertaken to bring down to date the 

 first historical volume mentioned, namely, the relations of the Institu- 

 tion to Congress, debates on its management, appropriations neces- 

 sary for operations intrusted to its care, etc. , which can be found only 

 in the volumes of the Congressional Globe and Congressional Record, 

 the journals of the Senate and House, and the Statutes at Large. 



The compilation and editing of the present work has been performed 

 under my direction by Mr. William J. Rhees, the keeper of archives, 

 and for many years chief clerk of the Institution. 



S. P. LANGLEY, 

 Secretary, Smithsonian Institution, 



