———— 
FIFTiETH CONGRESS, 1887-1889. 1249 
NATIONAL MUSEUM APPROPRIATIONS. 
June 16, 1888—House. 
February 29, 1888. 
Sir: I have the honor to make the following requests in regard to . 
the assignment of the appropriations for the maintenance of the United 
States National Museum for the coming fiscal year: 
(1) That the items for ‘‘ preservation of collections,” ‘‘ heating and 
lighting,” ‘‘ furniture and fixtures,” be transferred from their present 
position in the schedule of ‘*‘ Estimates of Appropriations, 1888-1889 ” 
(p. 237), under the Department of the Interior, to a place under the 
general head of ‘‘ Under the Smithsonian Institution,” and along with 
and in proximity to the other items to be expended under the direction 
of the Smithsonian Institution or its Secretary. 
(2) That each of these items be placed directly under the subhead 
“‘ Under the direction of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 
as director of the National Museum.” 
(3) That a special item be inserted under the caption ‘*‘ Public print- 
ing and binding,” providing the sum of $10,000 for printing labels 
and blanks for the use of the National Museum and for the ‘*‘ Bulletins” 
and annual volumes of the ‘‘ Proceedings” of the Museum. 
In explanation of these requests, I submit the following statements: 
The act of Congress establishing the Smithsonian Institution, 
approved August 10, 1846 (Revised Statutes, Title LX XIII, sections 
5579, 5594), provided that all objects of art and of foreign and curious 
research, and all objects of natural history, plants, and geological and 
mineralogical specimens belonging or hereafter to belong to the United 
States, which may be in the city of Washington, shall be delivered to 
the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, and, together with new 
specimens obtained by exchange, donation, or otherwise, shall be so 
arranged and classified as best to facilitate their examination and study. 
The National Museum, as it is now called, was thus placed under the 
sole control and direction of the Smithsonian Institution, and has ever 
since remained under its control; Congress having since 1858 made 
annual appropriations for its maintenance. Until 1880, however, the 
sums thus appropriated were inadequate, and the yearly deficiencies 
were paid from the income of the Institution. 
In accordance with a practice of nearly thirty years, the estimates 
for the annual appropriations have been each year, at the request of 
the Secretary of this Institution, forwarded by the Secretary of the 
Interior to the Secretary of the Treasury for transmission to Congress, 
and the disbursement of the appropriation has been made by the dis- 
-bursing agent of the Interior Department. 
This arrangement is somewhat inconvenient and cumbersome, and 
H. Doc. 732 79 
