DISCOURSE OF W. B. TAYLOR: NOTES. 403 



II. By the publication of separate treatises on subjects of general 

 interest. 1. These treatises may occasionally consist of valuable 

 memoirs translated from foreign languages, or of articles prepared 

 under the direction of the Institution, or procured by oifering pre- 

 miums for the best exposition of a given subject. 2. The treatises 

 should in all cases be submitted to a commission of competent 

 judges, previous to their publication. 3. As examples of these 

 treatises, expositions may be obtained of the present state of the 

 several branches of knowledge mentioned in the table of reports. 



SECTION II. 



Plan of Organization, in accordance with the terms of the resolutions 

 of the Board of Regents providing for the two modes of increasing 

 and diffusing knowledge. 



1 . The act of Congress establishing the Institution contemplated 

 the formation of a library and a museum; and the Board of Regents, 

 including these objects in the plan of organization, resolved to divide 

 the income * into two equal parts. 



2. One part to be appropriated to increase and diffuse, knowledge 

 by means of publications and researches, agreeably to the scheme 

 before given. The other part to be appropriated to the formation 

 of a library and a collection of objects of nature and of art. 



3. These two plans are not incompatible with one another. 



4. To carry out the plan before described, a library will be re- 

 quired, consisting, 1st, of a complete collection of the transactions 

 and proceedings of all the learned societies in the world ; 2d, of the 

 more important current periodical publications, and other works 

 necessary in preparing the periodical reports. 



5. The Institution should make special collections, particularly 

 of objects to illustrate and verify its own publications. 



6. Also, a collection of instruments of research in all branches 

 of experimental science. 



7. With reference to the collection of books, other than those men- 

 tioned above, catalogues of all the different libraries in the United 

 States should be procured, in order that the valuable books first 

 purchased may be such as are not to be found in the United States. 



* The amount of the Smithsonian bequest received into the Treasury 



of the United States is . $515,169 00 



Interest on the same to July 1, 1846, (devoted to the erection of the 



building) 242, 129 00 



Annual income from the bequest 30,910 14 



[The expedient of devoting one-half the income to the Congressional pro- 

 gramme, was by the urgency and influence of Henry, some years afterward re- 

 voked: though not without a violent opposition by the Library advocates.] 



