FOETY-FOUETH CONGEESS, 1875-1877. 753 



In conclusion, it may not perhaps be improper to remark that I do not advocate 

 this proposition for the purpose of extending the power and influence of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution. On the contrary, I think the exhibit should be made a truly 

 national one, and be immediately under the control of the Government. 

 I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



JOSEPH HENRY, 

 President National Academy of Sciences. 



Economical value of the collection. Embracing as these donations do 

 the essential portion of the displays of foreign nations, such as their 

 natural products, general industries and educational and scientific 

 methods, etc. , it is clearly evident that the element of the Centennial 

 exhibition of most importance to the American people has thus been 

 left to it, in the closing of the centennial, and if properly administered 

 must conduce in a very great degree to the material and mental advance 

 of the nation. By rearranging it in a systematic manner, in connec- 

 tion with the articles already shown, a most instructive and important 

 museum can be made available to the people of the United States. We 

 are assured that no such collection as this is to be found in any part of 

 the world; and it is very doubtful whether it can ever again be repro- 

 duced, as many of the nations represented at the centennial have inti- 

 mated their intention of not taking part in the Paris or any future 

 exposition. 



Distribution of duplicates. As might be expected, a large amount 

 of duplicate material accompanies these donations to the United States 

 from American and foreign sources, which, when a final arrangement 

 is accomplished, can, if Congress so direct, be distributed to various 

 educational and industrial establishments throughout the United States. 



Commercial value. The expenditures of the United States, for an 

 exhibition lasting but six months, have amounted to nearly $600,000. 

 The donations from our own States and individuals, tending to fill up 

 some of the gaps and complete the American display, which an insuf- 

 ficient appropriation interfered with, and those from foreign nations 

 which have been given to the United States, can hardty be considered 

 as overvalued at $400,000, and we therefore have an aggregate of prop- 

 erty, in value of at least a million of dollars to provide for. 



Future increase of collections. Premises have been made by most of 

 the foreign commissions to complete any portion illustrating the nat- 

 ural products and industries of their respective countries whenever the 

 arrangement of the collection shows the deficiencies. 



Action of the President in regard to transfer. In view of the magni- 

 tude of the collections thus acquired by the United States, and the 

 inadequacy of any present provision for their transfer to Washington 

 and their arrangement here, as also in view of the urgency of the 

 appeal of the National Academy of Sciences, the President, under date 

 of November 17, 1876, issued an order forbidding the removal of the 

 articles in the Government building until some arrangement could be 

 H. Doc. 732 48 



