XVI PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS. 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE . PERMANENT COMMITTEE. 



Senator Henderson, cluiirniiin, made the following report in regard 

 to the condition of the various matters under the charge of the com- 

 mittee: 



There were no new developments during the year with regard to the Avery fund 

 or the Spragne bequest. 



TUK HoncKixs Frxn. 



Progress has been made in the suit of O'Donaghue r. Smith. An appeal was taken 

 to the general term from the decision of the trial justice who allowed the verdict in 

 favor of the daughter of -Mr. O'Donaghue, wlio was an infant at the time of partition. 

 The general term affirmed the action of the justice below, which has caused delay. 

 The Smithsonian counsel, Mr. Hackett, is now ready to ]iroceed with the liearing of 

 the case. 



During the year the house and lot at Elizaljeth, N. J. has been sold to advantage. 



THE .\XDREWS BEQUEST. 



A preliminary contest is now going on before a referee upon the question whether 

 one-half of Mr. Andrews's estate should not go to his heirs by reason of an alleged 

 violation of the statutes of 1860, preventing a testator from giving to a charitable cor- 

 poration more than one-half of his estate, after payment of debts. Mr. Hackett is of 

 the opinion that the Institution's prospects for success continue fair. 



THE REin BEQUEST. 



During the year the Institution was supplied with a copy of the will of the late 

 Addison T. Reid, of Brooklyn, N. Y., who died on September 15, 1902. The will 

 provides for the payment of the income upon the property to persons named, and 

 upon their death, for the payment of the principal of the estate, with accumulations, 

 to the Smithsonian. Institution, to found a chair in biology in memory of the testator's 

 grandfather, Asher Tunis. The will was admitted to probate by the surrogate of 

 King's County on December 10, 1902. The estate is valued at $10,000. 



STATEMENT OF FUNDS USED IN EXPERIMENTS IN MECHANICAL FLICiHT. 



On November 9, 1898, the Board of Ordnance and Fortifications of 

 the War Department made an allotment of $25,000 for carr3nng on 

 experiments in mechanical flight, and on December 16, 1899, supple- 

 mented this by another allotment of $25,000. These funds lasted 

 until October 15, 1901. Commencing October lO, 1901, and continu- 

 ing until June 15, 1902, the sum of $5,565.75 was used in carrying on 

 this work from the special funds received from Dr. Alexander Graham 

 Bell and the late Dr. J. H. Kidder, for researches to be conducted 

 personally liy the Secretary. 



Since June 1(>, 1902, expenditures for work in mechanical flight 

 have been made from the Ilodgkins fund in accordance with the reso- 

 lution of the Board of Regents of Januar}" 26, 1898; and for this pur- 

 pose fi-om June 16 to December 31, 1902, the sum of $6,558.61 has 

 been used for continuing these experiments. 



