FORTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS, 1881-1883. 807 



erary and scientific publications of all nations. This recommendation 

 was reported to your predecessor in office, the Hon. Hamilton Fish, 

 who requested that the Smithsonian Institution would act as the inter- 

 mediary of the United States in carrying into effect the proposed sys- 

 tem as embodied in the recommendation of the Paris congress, as above 

 referred to. 



Under date of January 10, 1879, the Smithsonian Institution received 

 the following communication from the Department of State in refer- 

 ence to the proposed international exchange system: 



"You are already aware of the desire of this Department to secure 

 to the Smithsonian Institution the fullest liberty of action and the 

 utmost enhancement of its utility without entailing any additional bur- 

 den on its resources." 



You are of course informed that a number of other governments 

 represented at the congress of Paris have seconded the recommenda- 

 tion in question, and have already adopted special means, by estab- 

 lishing bureaus of international exchange, to carry its provisions into 

 effect. Among these governments are France, Belgium, Holland, 

 Switzerland, Russia, and Italy. 



Recognizing the enlightened action of the Paris congress in recom- 

 mending a system of interchange of scientific and literary thought 

 between the different peoples of the world, and acting in accordance 

 with the expressed wish of the Department of State, the Smithsonian 

 Institution at once set about the inauguration of the proposed system 

 on behalf of the Government of the United States. 



It was originally presumed that by interlacing with the regular 

 established systems of exchanges of the Institution so successfully 

 conducted for more than a quarter of a century the international system 

 could be carried on at a very little outlay in addition to that required 

 for the Smithsonian system. But this presumption did not prove to 

 be a fact, the Institution finding, after two years' trial, that the expense 

 attendant upon the execution of the request of the Department of State 

 is far greater than was anticipated. 



The Smithsonian Institution is therefore compelled to ask that an 

 appropriation of $7,000 be requested of Congress by the Department 

 of State, for the purpose of carrying into effect the recommendation 

 of the Paris congress on a scale in keeping with the high position of 

 the United States among civilized nations and commensurate with the 

 reputation of the Government for enlightened liberality in connection 

 with the cause of general education. 



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



SPENCER F. BAIRD, 

 Secretary of Smithsonian Institution. 



H. Doc. 732 57 



