922 PROPOSED APPLICATIONS OF SMITHSON S BEQUEST. 



to suggest that, if such a current documentary history should 

 be commenced, the design should be perfected by the com- 

 pilation of an introductory series of volumes, containing all the 

 most important documents relating to the history of the 

 country from its first settlement, and especially from the 

 middle of the eighteenth century. They should be uniform 

 in style with the series above proposed, and embrace a great 

 deal of matter for the gratification of the antiquarian, as 

 well as for the instruction of the legislator and historian. 

 The Smithsonian fund should spare nothing for this retro- 

 spective purpose; but the desideratum would be cheerfully 

 supplied by the General Government. England has set the 

 beautiful example in her Foedera. It could be compiled, 

 stereotyped, and published in the same manner as the serials 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, as suggested belo\v. 



VII. Method of Publishing. Let the use of the plates of 

 the two serials be granted, for a term of years, without 

 charge, to such responsible publishers as would engage to 

 supply all purchasers with the works, executed in a given 

 style, at the lowest price, and deliver the >ame for sale in sneh 

 of the great cities of the Union as shall he designated in 

 the contract. As the compiling, stereotyping, and engraving 

 would he done at the charge of the Smithsonian fund, the 

 purchaser would pay only for the paper ', press-work^ bindimj, 

 and the small percentage which should of right constitute 

 the profits of the publisher. If the two annual volumes were, 

 in matter and style such as I conceive they should he, and 

 such as I have attempted to describe, they should he worth, 

 at the ordinary rates, four and five dollars respectively, or 

 at least eight dollars for the two. Without going into 

 minutely accurate calculations, it would be safe to say that 

 they would not cost the purchaser more than three dollars. 

 The balance of five dollars in the intrinsie.value of the hooks 

 would be in effect a donation from James Smithson. They 

 would not, indeed, be worth that as merchandise, since all 

 could obtain them at the same price; hut they would be 

 worth infinitely more than that, as sources of practical, use- 

 ful, and indispensable knowledge, and which are not likely 

 to be provided for in any other way. 



Resulting Benefits of the Plan. Permit me now to enlarge 

 on the benefits which would result from this safe, simple, 

 and effective scheme, if it were carried out in its spirit and 

 to the letter. 



It will supply a Desideratum. It would call the two serials 

 into existence, and widely distribute them. A work of prac- 



