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and for the various objects incident to such an establish- 
ment,” Mr. Preston, of South Carolina, the Chairman of 
the Senate Committee, presented counter-resolutions, con- 
taining the provision that no part of the funds should be 
applied to the erection of an Astronomical Observatory. 
This report of Mr. Adams is well worthy the perusal of 
every lover of the exalted science of astronomy, both for 
the richness of its information and the beauty of its eloquence. 
In 1840 and 1841, two observatories were. established, — 
the first at Philadelphia, by the High School of that city, 
and the second at West Point, by the United States Military 
Academy. The former was placed under the direction of 
the late Sears C. Walker, the other pioneer of practical 
astronomy in the United States, and of Professor E. O. 
Kendall; the latter under that of Professor Bartlett. To 
these astronomers we owe the first introduction into the 
country of those German instruments which the combined 
genius of Bessel, Struve, and Argelander, that wondrous 
triad, together with Fraunhofer, and his gifted co-laborers in 
the highest fields of optical and mechanical art, had devised 
and perfected. To these observatories at West Point and 
Philadelphia, or rather to the ability and assiduity of their 
directors, working in the hours of relaxation from profes- 
Sional duties, we owe the first important series of astro- 
Nomical observations made in the United States. It is to 
the stimulus given by. their observations, — especially the 
admirable ones of Mr. Walker, rendered peculiarly valu- 
able by his computations, for which they supplied the 
‘Material 3; and to their publications, particularly the able 
Teport on European Observatories, presented by Professor 
Bartlett to the Engineer Department on returning from 
@ journey to Europe for the purpose of ordering instru- 
Ments,— that we are doubtless indebted for much of that 
