746 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



PHILADELPHIA CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. GOVERNMENT EXHIBIT. 



February 1, 1877 House. 



Mr. HOPKINS, from the Select Committee on the Centennial Cele- 

 bration, submitted report, No. 144: 



That they have fully and carefully considered the President's rec- 

 ommendation, and also the letters from Professors Henry and Baird, 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, which are hereto attached, and they 

 appreciate the great importance of prompt and favorable action I)}' 

 Congress to provide a suitable building for the preservation and dis- 

 play of perhaps the largest, most interesting and valuable museum in 

 the world. 



It may be well to call attention to the history of the Government 

 exhibit, and to its character, extent, and value, especially as it has 

 been increased by large and generous donations from other nations 

 who were also exhibitors at our Centennial Exposition. 



INCEPTION OF THE IDEA OF A GOVERNMENT EXHIBIT. 



Call of the President. Qn the 23d of January, 1874, the President 

 of the United States called upon the various departments of the 

 Government, including the Smithsonian Institution, to nominate one 

 member each, to constitute a board in behalf of the Executive Depart- 

 ments, to which should be committed the preparation and adoption of 

 a plan for a collective exhibition at the International Exhibition of 

 1876 ' ' of such articles and material as will illustrate the functions and 

 administrative faculties of the Government in time of peace and its 

 resources as a war power, and thereby serve to demonstrate the nature 

 of our institutions and their adaptation to the wants of the people." 



Appointment of board of Executive Department. The persons desig- 

 nated in response to the call of the President were the following: 



By the Secretary of the Treasury, F. M. Sawyer. 



By the Secretary of War, Col. S. C. Lyford, IJ. S. A. 



By the Secretary of the Navy, Admiral T. A. Jenkins, U. S. N. 



By the Secretary of the Interior, John Eaton. 



By the Postmaster-General, Charles F. McDonald. 



By the Department of Agriculture, William Saunders. 



By the Smithsonian Institution, S. F. Baird. 



On the 25th of March, 1874, the nominations were approved by the 

 President for the board referred to, and Col. S. C. Lyford was desig- 

 nated as chairman. Subsequently, on the retirement of Mr. Saw- 

 yer, Mr. R. W. Tayler was appointed in behalf of the Treasury 

 Department. 



The first business before the board being that of preparing a gen- 

 eral plan of the exhibition and estimates of the cost of carrying this 

 out for each department, the following estimates were made, after a 



