206 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



report to Congress, at every session thereof, the state of the Smithsonian fund and a 

 full statement of their receipts and expenditures during the preceding year. 



SEC. 9. And tie it further enacted, That the first meeting of the trustees of the Smith- 

 sonian fund shall be held at the city of Washington on the third of 



next; and that, in the meantime, the custody of the said fund, and the expenditures 

 under the appropriation herein made, shall be held and authorized by the Secretary of 

 the Treasury, subject to the approbation of the President of the United States. 



SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That there shall be a board of visitors, to be annu- 

 ally appointed, consisting of nine members; two of whom to be commissioned officers 

 of the Army, to l>e appointed by the Secretary of War; two commissioned officers of 

 the Navy, to be appointed by the Secretary of the Navy; the mayors for the time being 

 of the cities of Alexandria and of Georgetown, within the District of Columbia; and one 

 citizen of each of the cities of Washington, and Alexandria, and Georgetown, to be 

 appointed by the President of the United States, Avho shall meet on the first Monday 

 of February, at eleven o'clock, before noon, at the said astronomical observatory, 

 and visit and inspect the condition of the said observatory, and of the Smithsonian 

 Institution generally. They shall choose among themselves a chairman, and shall 

 make report to the President of the United States of the said condition of the institu- 

 tion, specifically indicating in what respect the institution has, during the preceding 

 year, contributed to the purpose of the founder the increase and diffusion of knowl- 

 edge among men. To this board the astronomical observator shall make a report to 

 the same effect, so far as regards the astronomical branch of the institution; which 

 report shall be annexed to that of the board to the President of the United States, 

 who shall communicate the said reports to Congress. The services of the members 

 of the said board shall be gratuitous; but the expenses incidental to their meeting 

 and the performance of their duties shall be included in the annual estimates of the 

 War and Navy Departments, alternately, and paid from the contingent expenses 

 thereof respectively. 



SEC. 11. And be it further enacted, That there is reserved to Congress the right of 

 altering, amending, adding to, or repealing, any of the provisions of this act, which 

 shall be found inconvenient upon experience: Provided, That no contract or indi- 

 vidual right, made or acquired under such provisions, shall thereby be impaired or 

 divested. 



SEC. 12. And be it furtJier enacted, That the sum of $60,000 from the second and 

 third years' interest of the Smithsonian bequest be, and the same is hereby, appro- 

 priated, to be invested so as to yield a yearly income at the rate of six per cent a 

 year; from which yearly income shall be paid the compensation of an astronomical 

 >bservator, to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent 

 of the Senate of the United States, and the incidental and contingent expenses of 

 repairs upon the buildings, as they may be required. 



APPENDIX TO REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE. 



Estimate of the expense of erecting an astronomical observatory of the first class, and of sup- 

 porting it by appropriations from the income of the Smithsonian fund. 



In the letter of October 11, 1838, to the Secretary of State, communicated to Con- 

 gress with the message of the President of the 6th of December of that year, a 

 conjectural estimate was given of the expense of establishing and maintaining a per- 

 manent astronomical observatory, and of the periodical publication of the results of 

 the observations there made, and of a nautical almanac. That estimate contemplated 

 the income of seven years of the fund as indispensably necessary for completing and 

 organizing the establishment in such manner as to avoid all encroachment on the 



