TWENTY-NINTH CONGRESS, 1845-1847. 431 



six years; the terms of service, in the first place, to be determined by 

 lot; but, after the first term, then their regular term of service shall 

 be six years; and new elections thereof shall be made by joint resolu- 

 tion of Congress; and vacancies- occasioned by death, resignation, or 

 otherwise, may be filled in like manner, by joint resolution of Con- 

 gress. And the said regents shall meet in the city of Washington, on 

 the first Monday of September next after the passage of this act, and 

 organize by the election of one of their number as chancellor, who 

 shall be the presiding officer of said board of regents, by the name 

 of the Chancellor of the "Smithsonian Institution," and a suitable 

 person as secretary of said institution, who shall also be the secretary 

 of said board of regents; said board shall also elect three of their 

 own body as an executive committee, and said regents shall then fix 

 on the time for the regular meetings of said board; and, on applica- 

 tion of any three of the regents to the secretary of the said Institution, 

 it shall be his duty to appoint a special meeting of the board of 

 regents, of which he shall give notice, by letter, to each of the mem- 

 bers; and, at any meeting of said board, five shall constitute a quorum 

 to do business. And each member of said board shall be paid his 

 necessary traveling and other actual expenses, in attending meetings 

 of the board, which shall be audited by the executive committee, and 

 recorded by the secretary of said board; but his services as regent 

 shall be gratuitous. And whenever money is required for the pay- 

 ment of the debts or performance of the contracts of the institution, 

 incurred or entered into in conformity with the provisions of this act, 

 or for making the purchases and executing the objects authorized by 

 this act, the board of regents, or the executive committee thereof, 

 may certify to the chancellor and secretary of the board that such 

 sum of money is required, whereupon they shall examine the same, 

 and, if they shall approve thereof, shall certify the same to the proper 

 officer of the treasury for payment. And the said board shall sub- 

 mit to Congress, at each session thereof, a report of the operations, 

 expenditures, and condition, of the institution. 



SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That, after the board of regents 

 shall have met and become organized, it shall be their duty forthwith 

 to proceed to select a suitable site for such building as may be neces- 

 sary for the institution, which ground may be taken and appropriated 

 out of that part of the public ground in the city of Washington lying 

 between the patent office and Seventh Street: Provided, The Presi- 

 dent of the United States, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the 

 Treasury, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Navy, and the 

 Commissioner of the Patent Office, shall consent to the same; but, if 

 the persons last named shall not consent, then such location may be 

 made upon any other of the public grounds within the city of Wash- 

 ington, belonging to the United States, which said regents may select, 



