REVIEWS KEPORT OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 43 



who desired to found (in the paraphrase of Professor Henry) '' an 

 institution to promote the discovery of new truths, and the dilfusion 

 of them to every part of the civiHzed world." Happily these views 

 prevailed to some extent in Congress, and the result was a compro- 

 mise whereby large discretion was left to the Board of B-egents, 

 although they were enjoined to establish museums of natural history, 

 geology, and mineralogy ; a chemical laboratory, a librarj, and a 

 gallery of art ; also, to have lectures delivered, and a suitable build- 

 ing for these purposes provided. In accordance with these instruc- 

 tions, the Eegents at first determined to divide equally the annual 

 income between the carrying out of the designs thus specified, and 

 other plans which they considered more agreeable to the proper func- 

 tions of the institution ; they were also able, while complying with 

 the letter of the Act of Congress in these respects, to render the ac- 

 complishment of the forenamed designs more in accordance with the 

 spirit of the founder, and thus diminish the evils resulting from this 

 imperfect legislation. The Library was made chiefly to consist of 

 the transactions of the various learned societies ; the collections for 

 the Museum were made by the parties. of the United States Survey ; 

 the Laboratory and Apparatus were furnished in a judicious spirit of 

 practicalness; and made to include a Magnetic Observatory ; and the 

 Lectures (the most objectionable feature of the plan) have also been 

 the least expensive. Still later the Eegents repealed the system of 

 equal division, and the funds are now appropriated as seems to them 

 best from time to time ; in this conduct, it is creditable to Congress 

 that they have been sustained, though a strong agitation was raised 

 against them. Of the justice of this course, we, as foreigners, can 

 entertain no doubt, and still less when we find such passages as the 

 following in the Secretary's report : — " The expense of this part, 

 however, of the operations of the library is small in comparison with 

 that which is in reality of little importance, I allude to the cost of 

 keeping up a reading-room, in which the liglit publications of the day^ 

 obtained through the copy-right law, are perused principally by young 

 persons. Although the law requiring a copy of each book for which • 

 a copy-right is granted, to be deposited in the libraiy, was intended 

 to benefit the Institution, and would do so were it designed to estab- 

 lish a general miscellaneous collection, yet as this is not the case, and 

 as som.e of the principal publishers do not regard the law, the enact- 

 ment has proved an injury rather than a benefit. ■ The articles receiv- 

 ed are principally elementary school manuals and the ephemeral pro- 

 ductions of the teeming press, including labels for patent medicines. 



