$58 PROPOSED APPLICATIONS OF SMITHSON's BEQUEST. 



obtained and deposited in one place, would form a muse in i 

 of the highest interest; but the portion of the income of 

 the bequest which can be devoted to the increase and main- 

 tenance of the museum will be too small to warrant anv 

 attempt toward an indiscriminate collection. It is hoped 

 that in due time other means may be found of establishing 

 and supporting a general collection of objects of nature and 

 art at the seat of the General Government, with funds not 

 derived from the Smithsonian bequest. For the present it 

 should be the object of the institution to confine the appli- 

 cation of the funds, first, to such collections as will tend 

 to facilitate the study of the memoirs which may be pub- 

 lished in the Contributions, and to establish thei'r correct- 

 ness; secondly, to the purchase of such objects as are not 

 generally known in this country, in the way of art and the 

 illustration of antiquities, such as models of buildings, &c.; 

 and, thirdly, to the formation of a collection of instruments 

 of physical research which will be required both in the 

 illustration of new physical truths and in the scientific in- 

 vestigations undertaken by the institution. 



Much popular interest may !>< awakened in favor of the 

 institution at Washington by throwing the rooms of tin- 

 building open on stated evenings dtmngfl the session of 

 Congress for literary and scientific assemblies, after the 

 manner of the weekly meetings of tin- lioval Institution in 

 London. At these meetings, without the formality of a 

 regular lecture, new truths in science niav he illustrated 

 and new objects of art exhibited. Besides these, courses of 

 lectures may be given on particular subjects by the officers 

 of the institution, or by distinguished individuals invited for 

 the purpose. 



APPENDIX No. 1. 



..rr JCWDIX no. 1. 



Extract from a communication of Professor Jewett, Assistant Secretary of 

 the Institution, acting as librarian. 



*32S*: A*. 1 do n t expect to have the pleasure of seeing you 

 before the meeting of the regents, I will, with your indulgence, refer 

 some of the principal matters which will require attention in commene- 



7 L iv ! v?; 6y W0uld no doubt a11 occur to y u in their ord er, but 

 nave thought you might find it convenient to have this part of the busi- 



"V n . 8 T e egI>ee P r lP ared to y ur h ands. A great deal of preparatory 

 Selves g ne Ugh With ' bef re an ^ books can be P laced on th<e 



^tn l!!l Pla " P r Pf d for the Horary, it seems to me that the first 

 g to be done is to make arrangements for obtaining catalogues, printed 



n iib Cri? ' f *?" pHncipal Hbraries of the Uni ' ed Stat ' s 5 * exam ~ 

 t 1 " 68 ' as u far as can b done personally, in order to know their 

 character, the statistics of their increase &c.j and to form such 



