Events in History of Institution 



835 



1852 



Feb. 14, British Government admits free of duty, books, etc., sent by the Smithsonian 

 Institution to libraries in England. 



1853 



Feb. j, Magnetic observatory on the Smithsonian grounds authorized by the Board of 

 Regents. 



March j, Congress appropriated $3000 to begin preparation of a catalogue of its library 

 on the Smithsonian stereotype plan proposed by Charles C. Jewett. 



March 12, Alteration ordered in the east wing of the building to convert it into a residence 

 for the Secretary. 



March 12, Resolutions adopted by the Board of Regents referring the subject of the distri- 

 bution of the income of the Institution to a Select Committee. 



June 15, Distribution of duplicate specimens to other museums begun. 



1854 



Jan. 28, District of Columbia Court decided that the Board of Regents could not be sued. 



May 20, Special committee of the Board of Regents reported. " The law is declaratory 

 and positive in charging the Secretary with the enumerated duties, and therefore 

 invests him and him alone with the corresponding powers. . . . He is not 

 required to employ any one, but is permitted to employ persons to assist him, 

 provided he satisfy the Board that their services are necessary as aids to him. 

 This view of the intention of Congress so clearly expressed in the law would 

 be directly contradicted by the plan which has been suggested of organizing 

 the Institution definitely into several departments, placing at the head of these 

 departments different assistants, establishing their relative positions, describing 

 distinct duties for them, assigning certain shares of the income to be dis- 

 bursed by them, and stating their authorities, privileges and remedies for 

 the infringement of their official rights or of the interests entrusted to their 

 care. All this would tend not to secure a loyal and harmonious cooperation, 

 to a common end, of the assistants with the Secretary, but to encourage 

 rivalry, to invite collision, to engender hostility, to destroy subordination, to 

 distract the operations of the Institution, to impair its efficiency and to destroy 

 its usefulness." 



July 8, Preamble and resolution from the Select Committee adopted as follows : 



"The Secretary of the Institution and of this Board is, by the seventh section of 

 the Act ' to establish the Smithsonian Institution,' required to discharge the 

 duties of 'librarian and Keeper of the Museum, having, with the consent of 

 the Board of Regents, power to employ assistants, the better to enable him to 

 discharge those duties; for a better construction whereof Be it resolved, 

 that whilst power is reserved in the said section to the Board of Regents to 

 remove both the Secretary and his assistants, in the opinion of the Board, 

 power, nevertheless, remains with the Secretary to remove his said assistants." 



December, Main portion of the Smithsonian Building completed. 



1855 



Jan. 12, Resolutions of the Select Committee adopted, repealing the equal distribution of 

 the income and providing that appropriations should be specific. 



Jan. jj, Secretary Henry, at meeting of Board of Regents, stated that he had deemed it 

 his duty to remove Charles C. Jewett from the office of Assistant to the Secre- 

 tary. 



Jan. 13, Rufus Choate resigned his office of Regent, stating that he had done so because 

 of his inability to acquiesce in the interpretation, by a majority of the Board, of 

 the Act of Congress organizing the Institution. 



Jan. 13, Judiciary committee of the Senate instructed to inquire and report whether any 

 action of the Senate was necessary and proper in regard to the Smithsonian 

 Institution. 



Jan. 15, The following resolutions were adopted by the Board of Regents : 



" Resolved, That while the Board regret the necessity of Mr. Jewett's re- 

 moval, they approve of the act of the Secretary. 



" Resolved, That the approval by the Board is not deemed by them to be es- 

 sential to the validity of the act of the Secretary in so removing Mr. Jewett." 



Jan. 77, Mr. Choate's letter of resignation was referred, in the House of Representatives, 

 to a Special Committee of five, to inquire into the management of the Institu- 

 tion, and with power to send for persons and papers. 



