410 MEMORIAL. OF JOSEPH HENRY. 



which may tend to embarrass the future usefuhiess of the Insti|;u- 

 tion, and for this purpose I do not intend to make any appointments 

 unless expressly directed to do so by the Regents, until the organi- 

 zation is definitely settled. 



" The income of the Institution is not sufficient to carry out a 

 fourth part of the plans mentioned in the Act of Congress, and con- 

 templated in the Report of the Regents. For example, to support 

 the expense of the Museum of the Exploring Expedition presented 

 by Government to the Smithsonian Institution, will require in 

 interest on building and expense of attendance" upward of 10,000 

 dollars annually. A corps of Professorg with necessary assistants 

 will amount to from 12,000 to 15,000 dollars. From these facts 

 you will readily perceive that unless the Institution is started with 

 great caution there is danger of absorbing all the income in a few 

 objects, which in themselves may not be the best means of carrying 

 out the design of the Testator. I have elaborated a simple plan of 

 organization, which I intend to press with all my energy. If this 

 is adopted,, I am confident the. name of Smithson will become 

 familiar to every part of the civilized world. If I cannot succeed 

 in carrying out my plans— at least in a considerable degree, I shall 

 withdraw from the Institution. 



" With much respect and esteem, I remain 

 "Your obedient servant, 



"Joseph Henry. 

 " Rev. Dr. Eliphalet Nott, 



"President of Union College, &0.&0" \ 



Note K. {From p. 281.) 



STRUGGLE WITH THE LIBRARY SCHEME. 



From the first organization of the Smithsonian Institution, or 

 indeed from the still earlier times of its discussion on the floors of 

 Congress, the great need of a general library of reference, on a scale 

 comparable to that of the large European establishments, felt by 

 every historical and literary student, naturally led such readers to 

 look eagerly to the endowment of Smithson for the attainment of 

 this desirable end, On December 15, 1843, the Hon. Rufus 

 Choate — chairman of the Senate committee on the library, obtained 

 the reference of the matter of Smithson's bequest to his own com- 

 mittee: and when on June 6, and again on December 12, 1844, 

 Senator Benjamin Tappan, a member of the same committee intro- 

 duced a bill establishing on the Smithson fund, an ajjricultural 



