FORTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS, 1881-1883. 903 



exchanges; and I regret that Mr. Fish did not fully appreciate the 

 fact that the selection of the Institution for the purpose in question 

 was long since made formally, first, by direct enactment; secondly, by 

 appointment by the Joint Library Committee of Congress; and, 

 thirdly, by the State Department under the administration of Mr. 

 Evarts. 



I beg to present herewith a brief summary of the successive action 

 in this connection. 



The policy of a direct interchange of the official publications of the 

 United States for those of foreign countries, was accepted and estab- 

 lished by Congress in the act of March 2, 1867, by which a certain 

 additional number of copies of all public documents was placed at the 

 disposal of the Joint Library Committee, to be exchanged through 

 the agency of the Smithsonian Institution for such works published 

 in foreign countries, and especially by foreign governments, as might 

 be deemed by said committee an equivalent, said works to be depos- 

 ited in the Library of Congress. 



There is, in addition to this, a statute (Rev. Stat., sec. 87, passed June 

 26, 1848), which authorizes the Joint Committee on the Library from 

 time to time to appoint such agents as they may deem requisite to 

 carry into effect the donation and exchange of documents and other 

 publications placed at their disposal for the purpose. 



In compliance with this statute, as also with the later one designat- 

 ing the Smithsonian Institution for the purpose in question, the Joint 

 Library Committee of Congress appointed the Institution to the func- 

 tion; and its operations of exchange of public documents are carried 

 on in its behalf, and of course for the benefit of the Congressional 

 Library. 



A further proof that Congress has officially committed to the 

 Smithsonian Institution the charge of the international exchanges on 

 the part of the Government, is shown by the wording of several 

 appropriations passed at the last session of Congress and now avail- 

 able, as follows: 



Treasury Digest of Appropriations for the fiscal year 1884: 



(1) Joint resolution to print 5,000 copies of the report of the Board 

 on behalf of the United States Executive Departments at the interna- 

 tional exhibition of 1876; 200 copies are given to the Smithsonian 

 Institution for distribution to such governments, and others, as made 

 contributions from such exhibition to the National Museum. (Page 19. ) 



(2) Increase of Library of Congress, 1884: For expenses of chang- 

 ing [exchanging] public "documents for the publications of foreign 

 governments, $1,000. (Page 20.) 



This has been a continuous appropriation ever since 1867, and 

 expended under the law of that year by the Smithsonian Institution 

 in behalf of the Library of Congress. 



