TWENTY-NINTH CONGRESS, 1845-47. 471 



re-election, their office as Senators. And vacancies, occasioned by death, 

 resignation, or otherwise, shall be filled as vacancies in committees are 

 filled 5 and the other six members aforesaid shall serve, two lor two years, 

 two for four years, and two for six years ; the terms of service, in the first 

 place, to be determined by lot ; but after the first term, then their regular 

 term of service shall be six years ; and new elections thereof shall be made 

 by joint resolution of Congress; and vacancies occasioned by death, resig- 

 nation, or otherwise, may be filled in like manner, by joint resolution of 

 Congress. And the said Regents shall meet in the city of Washington on 

 the first Monday of September next after the passage of this act, and or- 

 ganize by the election of one of tbeir number as Chancellor, who shall be 

 the presiding officer of said Board of Eegents, by the name of the Chan- 

 cellor of the " Smithsonian Institution," and a suitable person as Secretary 

 of said Institution, who shall also be the Secretary of said Board of Regents ; 

 said Board shall also elect three of their own body as an Executive Com- 

 mittee, and said Regents shall then fix on the time for the regular meeting 

 of said Board ; and on application of any three of the Regents to the Sec- 

 retary of the said Institution, it shall be his duty to appoint a special meet- 

 ing of the Board of Regents, of which he shall give notice by letter to each 

 of the members ; and at any meeting of said Board, five shall constitute a 

 quorum to do business. And each member of said Board shall be paid his 

 necessary travelling and other actual expenses in attending meetings of the 

 Board, which shall be audited by the Executive Committee, and recorded 

 by the Secretary of said Board ; but his services as Regent shall be gratui- 

 tous. And whenever money is required for the payment of the debts or 

 performance of the contracts of the Institution, incurred or entered into in 

 conformity with the provisions of this act, or for making the purchases and 

 executing the objects authorized by this act, the Board of Regents or the 

 Executive Committee thereof, may certify to the Chancellor and Secretary 

 of the Board that such sum of money is required ; whereupon, they shall 

 examine the same, and, if they shall approve thereof, shall certify the same 

 to the proper officer of the Treasury for payment. And the said Board 

 shall submit to Congress, at each session thereof, a report of the operations, 

 expenditures, and condition of the Institution. 



SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That after the Board of Regents shall 

 have met, and become organized, it shall be their duty forthwith to proceed 

 to select a suitable site for such building as may be necessary for the Institu- 

 tion ; which ground may be taken and appropriated out of that part of the 

 public ground in the city of Washington, lying between the Patent Office 

 and Seventh street : Provided, The President of the United States, the Sec- 

 retary of State, the Secretary 'of the Treasury, the Secretary of War, the 

 Secretary of the Navy, and the Commissioner of the Patent Office, shall 

 consent to the same ; but if the persons last named shall not consent, then 

 such location may be made upon any other of the public grounds within the 

 city of Washington, belonging to the United States, which said Regents 

 may select, by and with the consent of the persons herein named ; and the 

 said ground so selected shall be set out by proper metes and bounds, and a de- 

 scription of the same shall be made and recorded in a book to be provided 

 for that purpose, and signed by the said Regents, or so many of them as 

 may be convened at the time of their said organization ; and such record, 

 or a copy thereof, certified by the Chancellor and Secretary of the Board of 

 Regents, shall be received in evidence in all courts of the extent and boun- 

 daries of the lands appropriated to the said Institution ; and upon the mak- 

 ing of such record, such site and lands shall be deemed and taken to be 

 appropriated, by force of this act, to the said Institution. 



SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That, so soon as the Board of Regents 

 shall have selected the said site, they shall cause to be erected a suitable 

 building, of plain and durable materials and structure, without unnecessary 

 ornament, and of sufficient size, and with suitable rooms, or halls, for the 

 reception and arrangement, upon a liberal scale, of objects of natural his- 



