TWENTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS, 1841-1843. 237 



under hi^ direction by the proper officers of the Treasury Department; and the said 

 board shall 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 be it further enacted, That the first meeting of the trustees of the 

 Smithsonian fund shall be held at the city of Washington on the third Tuesday of 

 next, and that in the meantime the custody of the said fund and the expend- 

 itures under the appropriations 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 be 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, Alexandria, and Georgetown, to 

 be appointed by the President of the United States, who shall meet on the first Mon- 

 day 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 

 institution, specifically indicating in what respect the institution has during the pre- 

 ceding year contributed to the purpose of the founder the increase and diffusion of 

 knowledge 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 said board shall be gratuitous. 



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 (hereby be impaired or 

 divested. 



SEC. 12. And be ii further enacted, That the sum of $60,000 of the interest accrued 



and now invested in bonds of the State of Arkansas and , bearing an interest 



at the rate of six per cent a year, be, and it is hereby, constituted a fund from the 

 yearly interest of which the compensation shall be paid of an astronomical observator 

 to be appointed by the board of overseers, removable at their discretion, and another 

 to be appointed whenever the said office may be vacant. His compensation shall be 

 at the rate of three thousand dollars a year, and $600 a year for the incidental 

 and contingent expenses of repairs upon the buildings, as they may be required. 



SEC. 13. And be it further enacted, That the sum of $120,000, from the interest already 

 accrued or to accrue hereafter to that amount, and yielding yearly interest at the rate 

 of six per cent a year, be, and is hereby, constituted a fund, from the interest of 

 which four assistants to the astronomer and laborers necessary for attendance on him, 

 for the care and preservation of the buildings, shall be provided and supported. The 

 compensation of the four assistants to be at the rate of $1,500 a year each; and the 

 compensation of the laborers (with compensations not to exceed in amount for the 

 whole of those found necessary) $1,200 a year; the assistants and laborers to be 

 appointed and removable by the said board of trustees, at their discretion. 



SEC. 14. And be it further enacted, That the sum of $20,000 of the interest hereafter 

 to accrue from the said Smithsonian fund be. and is hereby, appropriated to furnish 



