974 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES. 

 October 7, 1885. 



October 7, 1885. 



SIR: On the 7th of March, 1884, I had the honor to address you as follows: 



After overcoming many obstacles, the Smithsonian system of exchange has now 

 been placed upon a most satisfactory basis, the only difficulty of any magnitude yet 

 remaining being inability on the part of the Smithsonian Institution, as the Govern- 

 ment intermediary, to secure the entire fruits of the wise provision of Congress in the 

 way of fifty copies of each and every public document for exchange purposes, and to 

 this extent the system is yet imperfect. In the absence of strict compliance with the 

 stipulation that all works published by the United States its Congress, Executive 

 Departments, bureaus, etc. [be furnished to the Smithsonian Institution in 50 copies 

 each of the three distinct series, as specified in the acts of March 2, 1867. and July 

 25, 1868] the Institution can hardly exact from foreign Governments that have 

 entered into an International Exchange Alliance copies of everything they respec- 

 tively issue. 



I would therefore ask you, respectfully, to consider the several enactments upon the 

 subject of international exchange, and that such supplementary legislation be pro- 

 vided as will enable us to surmount the difficulty referred to. 



In referring to the communication above quoted, I beg respectfully to state that it 

 again becomes the duty of the Smithsonian Institution, as the agent for Government 

 exchanges (under appointment of Congressional act of March 2, 1867), to suggest a 

 review by the Library Committee of the several enactments upon the subject of 

 international exchange, to the end that such additional legislation may be provided 

 as will render the Institution able to enforce strict compliance, on the part of the 

 Public Printer and the various Departments and bureaus of the Government, with 

 the order of Congress that all works published by the United States of America, 

 whether by its Congress, its Executive Departments, or its bureaus, and whether 

 printed at the Public Printing Office or elsewhere, be furnished to the Smithsonian 

 Institution in 50 copies each of the three distinct series, as specified in the acts of 

 March 2, 1867, and July 25, 1868, and without which the Government of the United 

 States, through the Library of Congress, will fail to reap the full benefit of that com- 

 plete exchange which was intended and desired when the American Congress first 

 exhibited its enlightened liberality in the wise provision for an exchange of the 

 United States official publications for those of other nations. 



I inclose some memoranda necessary for your information and guidance in con- 

 nection with any new legislation that your committee, in its wisdom, may deem 

 proper to suggest for the consideration of Congress. 

 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



SPENCER F. BAIRD, Secretary. 



lion. JOHN SHERMAN, 



Chairman Joint Library Committee of Congress, United States Senate. 



MEMORANDA TO ACCOMPANY LETTER FROM SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION OF OCTOBER 

 7, 1885, TO HON. JOHN SHERMAN, CHAIRMAN JOINT LIBRARY COMMITTEE OF CON- 

 GRESS. 



On the 2d day of March, 1867, Congress passed the following resolution (Stat., vol. 

 14, p. 573) : 



"Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in 

 Congress assembled, That 50 copies of all documents hereafter printed by order of 

 either House of Congress, and 50 copies additional of all documents printed in excess 

 of the usual number, together with 50 copies of each publication issued by any 

 Department or bureau of the Government, be placed at the disposal of the Joint 



