No. 200.] 195 



Who first proposed the geological survey of this State ? The Ame- 

 rican Institute. Many of its members, and our superintending agent, 

 spent the greater part of a winter in Albany, and by their untiring ex- 

 ertions, succeeded in procuring the law authorizing this survey ; thus, 

 not only have the mineral resources of the State been made known to 

 the public at large, but its natural history has found record before the 

 march of internal improvement should forever obliterate much of its 

 minutiae from the face of nature. ' 



Our repository furnishes statistics for the use of Congress on al- 

 most every subject connected with the public welfare. 



xA. not less useful adjunct is our committee on arts and sciences' 

 This committee is composed of some of the most able philosophers 

 and engineers of our country, and their labors have been productive 

 of the greatest benefits. 



Almost every invention of supposed utility is submitted to them, by 

 the inventors, for investigation, their favorable report being deemed 

 sufficient to authorize capitalists to invest their means in the project. 



These mvestigations are always conducted with great patience, and 

 inventors are often prevented thereby, from wasting their means in 

 the creation of mere chimeras. Ingenious thoughts, by the advice 

 and assistance of this committee, are rendered utilitarian ; and thus the 

 poor but ingenious mechanic is both protected and assisted in con- 

 summating his inventions. It is a well known fact, that the product to 

 inventors of all the patent rights taken out in this country, has scarce- 

 ly exceeded the amount of fees paid to the patent office for issuing 

 the patents ; and yet, in the face of such a fact, no instance can be 

 >hown where the committee of arts and sciences of the American In- 

 stitute has given an opinion, which has afterwards proved fallacious. 

 Their certificates, in consequence, are sought after by inventors with 

 an eagerness which proves their value. 



The Institute has also established conversational meetings, and their 

 well filled rooms on these occasions show the estimation in which they 

 are held by those who attend them. 



At these meetings, a subject of useful character is proposed for con- 

 versation ; each|member present states any facts he may know in re- 

 lation to this subject, but he can only occupy fifteen minutes ; thus long 

 speeches are prevented, and short, crisp, practical knowledge alone is 



