1734 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 
Unirep Srares DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 
OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY, 
Washington, D. C., April 22, 1896. 
Hon. W. B. ALxison, 
Chairman Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate. 
Dear Str: In response to your desire, communicated through Mr. Coville, for 
further information as to the purpose and effect of granting to the National Museum’ 
an additional sum of $10,000 for the maintenance of the National Herbarium, I have 
to reply as follows: 
When, nearly two years ago, the Secretary of Agriculture found the Department 
buildings entirely too small and it was brought to his attention that a large amount of 
space was occupied by a collection of plants estimated to be worth $250,000 and liable 
at any time to be destroyed by fire, arrangements were made with the Smithsonian 
Institution to house the collection in the fireproof building of the National Museum. 
The Department agreed to retain on its rolls, so long as the appropriation admitted it, 
the force of assistants necessary in caring for the collection, but the unexpected reduc- 
tion in the botanical appropriation recently made has forced the Secretary to ask 
that he be relieved of this charge. 
If the proposed appropriation be made, the force of assistants and mounters now 
engaged in caring for the herbarium in the National Museum building will be trans- 
ferred to the rolls of that Institution, and the places thus made vacant upon the 
statutory roll in our Division of Botany will be filled by the transfer of employees 
now on the botanical lump sum. No new employees will be appointed as a result of 
the change, and the statutory position of assistant curator will be left vacant during 
the coming year, either to be abolished in the next agricultural Sppern ae bill 
or to be changed to assistant botanist. 
Besides the emergency reasons just cited for the transfer of the herbert the 
Department holds that the care of the collection is properly the function of the Smith- 
sonian Institution, but that it should always be open to the botanists of the Depart- 
ment for reference and consultation in any investigations in which they need it. The 
object, and the sole object, of the proposed change is to place the herbarium in good 
hands and in its legitimate place, so as to enable the Department to organize all the 
botanical work on a distinctly practical basis. 
Respectfully, Cuas. W. Dasney, Jr., 
Assistant Secretary. 
N. B.—This letter is written in connection with that of the acting secretary of the 
Smithsonian Institution, dated April 22, 1896, addressed to the Hon. W. B. Allison, 
chairman Committee on Wpibrotiatiiatisl United States Senate, which is our authority 
for the above statement with regard to the part to be performed by the National 
Museum and Smithsonian Institution. 
The Presrpinc Orricer. The amendment proposed by the Senator 
from Iowa will be stated. 
The Secretary. In line 1, page 33, before the word ‘‘thousand,” it 
is proposed to strike out ‘‘ forty-three” and insert ‘‘fifty-three;” so as 
to make the clause read: 
For continuing the preservation, exhibition, and increase of the collections from 
the surveying and exploring expeditions of the Government, and from other sources, 
including salaries or compensation of all necessary employees, $153,225. 
Agreed to. 
The reading of the bill was resumed. The next amendment of the 
Committee on Appropriations was, on page 33, line 4, to increase the 
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