44 The Smithsonian Institution 



Duponceau in a letter written in April, 1842, in which he 

 said: 



" I have seen with great pleasure the bill brought into the 

 Senate by the Honorable Mr. Preston. It fully coincides 

 with the views that I have expressed. The object, in my 

 opinion, is to preserve the superiority of the National Institu- 

 tion over the Smithsonian, and of the government over both. 



" I would beg leave to suggest whether it would not be 

 advisable to make some small alteration in the name of the 

 National Institution so that it should not bear exactly the 

 same name with the Smithsonian, but one expressive of some 

 degree of superiority. I would recommend, for instance, that 

 of Institute, which appears to me more dignified than that of 

 Institution, which is equally applicable to a school or college 

 as to a great national establishment for the promotion of 

 science. My idea would be to call the national establishment 

 the ' National Institute for the Promotion of Science,' and 

 the subordinate one the ' Smithsonian Institution,' without 

 more." 



No appropriation came, however, and the charter and 

 changed name failed to add to the prosperity of the society. 

 At a meeting on June 2O, 1 1842, a resolution was passed ap- 

 pointing a committee to solicit private contributions of money 

 and property. On August 8, 1842, a report was made by 

 this committee proposing to institute an annual scientific con- 

 vention at Washington, during the session of Congress, and 

 under the auspices of the Institute, and also recommended 

 an extensive system of exchange of specimens for the benefit 

 of the museum. 



At the meeting of September 12, 1842, Mr. Poinsett, the 

 president, proposed a series of resolutions 2 intended to put 

 the recommendation of the report into effect. 



1 Evidently not June 13, though so stated in one portion of the minutes. 



See Proceedings of the National Institution, pages 236, 241, 335. 



2 See Proceedings of the National Institution, page 336. 



