902 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



Mr. Ki.rkwood to Mr. Frelinghuysen. 



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, 



Washington, March 27, 1882. 



SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communi- 

 cation of the 24th instant, touching the establishment of a bureau of 

 international exchanges under the supervision of the Department of 

 State, "the work of the bureau to be concentrated in the hands of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, as the delegated agency of said Department," 

 and in reply to say, that this Department has long felt the need of some 

 improved method of conducting international exchanges, by which the 

 more certain and speedy delivery of packages transmitted may be 

 secured. . The chief difficulties encountered under the present system 

 result, in the firstplace, from the very limited number of dispatch agencies 

 employed by the Department of State, restricting transmission of docu- 

 ments, etc., received from other departments and offices to the three 

 cities, London, Paris, and Hamburg; and, secondly, from the delay 

 which often attends the dispatch of packages through the Smithsonian 

 Institution, many months frequently elapsing between the delivery of a 

 package to the Institution and its reception abroad. In addition, the 

 present system involves the trouble of keeping accounts, and of the 

 presentation and payment of bills for transportation, whether packages 

 are transmitted by the Department of State or by the Smithsonian 

 Institution. 



It is understood that under the new system proposed by you these 

 difficulties will be avoided; that not only will it unify our system of 

 international exchanges, and " assimilate it with that of other countries," 

 but also that greater dispatch and certainty of delivery will be attained. 



It is furthermore presumed that the appropriation to be made for 

 this purpose will be adequate to meet the necessities of all the depart- 

 ments and offices of the Government, so that they will be relieved of 

 all expense in the matter of transportation. 



In view of the fact that the proposed arrangement seems to involve 

 these advantages, I regard it as entitled to the approval of this Depart- 

 ment. 



I have the honor to be, etc., 



S. J. KIRK WOOD. 



Report, etc., referred to Committee on the Library. 

 August 20, 1883. 



Augmt 20, 1883. 

 Hon. JOHN DAVIS, 



Acting Secretary of State. 



SIR: Among other subjects discussed by the Belgian conference was 

 the right of the Smithsonian Institution to be considered as the agent 

 of the United States Government in an international system of 



