292 BULLETIN OF THE 



and by an Act approved April 5th, 18G6, such transfer was at last 

 effected. 



" Congress had presented to the Institution a portion of the 

 public reservation on which the building is situated. In the 

 planting of this with trees, nearly 10,009 dollars of the Smithson 

 income were expended." Ultimately however opportunity was 

 taken to have the Smithsonian park included in the general ap- 

 propriation by the Government for improving the public grounds. 



The courses of Lectures which were continued from their 

 establishment in 1849, to 1863, were then abandoned. In con- 

 formity with the judicious policy entertained from the beginning 

 not to consume uuproGtably the limited means of the Institution 

 by attempting to do what could be as well or better accomplished 

 by other organizations, its herbarium comprising 30,000 botanical 

 specimens and other allied objects, was transferred to the custody 

 of the Agricultural Department. Its collection of anatomical 

 and osteological specimens was transferred to the Army Medical 

 Museum. And its Fine-Art collections were transferred to the 

 custody of the "Art-Gallery" established at Washington (with 

 a larger endowment than the whole Smithsonian fund) by the 

 enlightened liberality of Mr. W. W. Corcoran. 



Such were the successive processes by which much of the early 

 and injudicious legislative work of organization, intended for 

 popularising the activities of the Institution, was gradually un- 

 done ; greatly to the dissatisfaction and foreboding of many of 

 its well-meaning friends. "It should be recollected," said Henry, 

 "that the Institution is not a popular establishment."* 



TJie National Museum. — The last heritage of misdirected legis- 

 lation — the ^"ational Museum, still remains in nominal connection 

 with the Institution; although Congress has recognized the justice 

 of making special provision for its custody by an annual appro- 

 priation ever since its establishment in 1842, — four years before 

 the organization of the Smithsonian Institution. The Government 

 collection of curiosities had accumulated from the contributions of 

 the various exploring expeditions; and Henry from the first, had 

 objected to receiving it as a douation, foreseeing that it would 



* Smithsonian Report for 1S76, p. 12. A distinguished politician, now 

 many years deceased, (an influential Member of Congress— and possible 

 statesman.) in the confidence of friendship pointed out with emphasis, 

 how by a few judicious expedients — involving only a moderate reduction 

 of the income of the Institution, golden opinions might be won from the 

 press, and the Smithsonian really be made quite a "popular" establit^h- 

 ment. Unseduced by these friendly suggestions of worldly wisdom, Henry 

 astonished his adviser by the smiling assurance that his self-imposed 

 mission and deliberate purpose was to prevent, as far as in hira lay, pre- 

 cisf'ly that consummation. Had the philosopher repudiated the "breath 

 of his nostrils" he could not have been lonked upon by tie politician, as 

 more hopelessly demented. 



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