770 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



February 25, 1878 House. 



Mr. CASEY YOUNG, from the Committee on Public Buildings and 

 Grounds, submitted a report (No. 244) to accompany the bill H. 2662: 



The National Museum of the United States, at present in charge of 

 the Smithsonian Institution, was firs*t authorized and established by 

 the act of Congress approved August 10, 1846, organizing the Institu- 

 tion, which provides 



That, in proportion as suitable arrangements can be made for their reception, all 

 objects of art and of foreign and curious research, and all objects of natural history, 

 plants, and geological and mineralogies,! specimens, belonging, or hereafter to belong, 

 to the United States, which may be in the city of Washington, in whosesoever custody 

 the same may be, shall be delivered to such persons as may be authorized by the 

 Regents of the Smithsonian Institution to receive them, and shall be arranged in such 

 order and so placed as best to facilitate the examination and study of them. 



The same act also authorized the reception of donations generally, 

 and provides for the increase of the museum by the exchange of dupli- 

 cate specimens. 



This action of Congress was in accordance with the practice and 

 policy of all civilized nations, the national museums thus constituted 

 being maintained at an expenditure of money which, however large, is 

 considered as necessary and proper in the interest of the people. Con- 

 spicuous instances of such museums are found in the national estab- 

 lishments of Great Britain, France, Spain, Germany, Holland, Den- 

 mark, Sweden, Russia, Austria, Chile, Buenos Ayres, Brazil, Mexico, 

 and many other countries. 



When a national museum for the United States was authorized in 

 1846, the collections belonging to the Government consisted principally 

 of what had been brought home by the Wilkes Exploring Expedition, 

 which at the time occupied and tilled the upper story of what is now 

 the south wing of the Patent Office. Appropriations had been made 

 for several years for the care and supervision of these collections while 

 in the Patent Office, and when they were transferred to the Smithso- 

 nian edifice these appropriations were continued, and increased from 

 time to time as the material to be cared for required. 



For several years but few additions were made to the National 

 Museum beyond the occasional contributions of individuals, but in 

 1852 a great influx of specimens began from the numerous Govern- 

 ment expeditions which were then carried on among them the United 

 States Naval Astronomical Expedition to Chile, under Lieutenant 

 Gilliss; the expedition to Japan, under Commodore Perry; the Bering 

 Straits Expedition, under Captains Ringgold and Rodgers; the sur- 

 veys for a railroad route to the Pacific, under the War Department; 

 the Mexican Boundary Survey, under the Interior Department; the 

 numerous wagonroad expeditions, etc. 



These were followed a little later bv the contributions from the 



