FORTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS, 1881-1883. 899 



It now appears from the statements made in Professor Baird's letter 

 that the expense of carrying out the exchanges in question is far 

 greater than was anticipated, whereby an undue burden has been 

 imposed upon the resources of the Smithsonian Institution; and Pro- 

 fessor Baird therefore asks that an appropriation of $7,000 may be 

 made for the purpose of carrying out the recommendations of the 

 Paris congress of 1875. 



1 may add that it is understood by this Department that the 

 exchanges of literary and scientific publications in question are now 

 carried on at the expense of the several governments which were 

 parties to the congress of 1875, except in the case of this Government, 

 which has imposed this important and useful work upon the Smith- 

 sonian Institution. 



In view, therefore, of the reasons set forth by Professor Baird in a 

 communication transmitted herewith, and in view of the great benefits 

 which the Government, institutions of learning, public libraries, and 

 men of science are receiving from the system of the exchange of liter- 

 ary and scientific publications inaugurated by the congress of 1875 at 

 Paris, I beg to recommend that the appropriation asked for, as above 

 indicated, may be made. 



I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, 



WM. M. EVARTS. 



The State Department to the Smitfisonian Institution. 



DEPARTMENT OF STATE, 

 Washington, December 27, 1881. 

 Prof. SPENCER F. BAIRD, 



Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



SIR: Referring to the reply of this Department of the 30th of Octo- 

 ber last to your letter of the 23d of that month, in relation to the 

 exchange of Government and scientific publications with foreign coun- 

 tries, and referring also to the letter of this Department to the Senate 

 Committee on Appropriations, dated the 31*st of January last, on the 

 same subject, I now beg to request you to furnish this Department 

 with your views in relation to this matter, in form of a memorandum, 

 to serve as the basis of a communication to Congress urging the 

 appropriation of an amount sufficient to defray the expenses of inter- 

 national exchanges and of so organizing the work that it shall be done 

 by the Smithsonian Institution, but under the Department of State 

 and with its official cooperation. This arrangement seems to be desir- 

 able in order that the American bureau of exchanges may be on the 

 same footing as those in Europe, where this business is conducted 

 under the supervision of the foreign officers of the various countries 

 which have entered into the international agreement in relation to 

 exchanges. 



