806 



■CIENGE. 



[N. S. Vol. IX. No. 232. 



partment for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1900, 

 submitted an item of $10,000, or so much thereof as 

 maybe necessary, forthe purpose of carrying outonthe 

 part of the United States the recommendation of the 

 International Conference on a Catalogue of Scientific 

 Literature, and for the expense of clerk hire and for 

 the other expenses of the work of cataloguing the 

 scientific publications of the United States, the same 

 to be expended under the direction of the Secretary 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, and pointed out that 

 as the preparation of the catalogue is to begin on Jan- 

 uary 1, 1900, it would be necessary for appropriate 

 action to be taken by Congress at its forthcoming 

 session, if this Government is to participate therein. 

 In support of this recommendation, I enclosed as 

 appendices a copy of the Congressional document to 

 which you refer and a copy of your report on the Con- 

 ference of 1896. The estimates are now in print and 

 it is too late to have your present letter included 

 therein ; but I shall, upon the assembling of Con- 

 gress, communicate it to that body in further support 

 of the item. 



I am Sir, 



Your obedient servant, 



(Signed) John Hay. 



The followiug additional communication 

 from the Department has also been re- 

 ceived : 



T/W Department OF State, 



Wuskinijion, December 16, 1S9S. 

 De. Cyeus Adlee, 



Delegate of the United Stttlia to the Second Interna- 

 tional Conference on a Calalorjue of Scientific Litera- 

 ture, Smithmnian Institution. 

 SlE : I enclose for your information copj' of a note 

 from the British Ambassador at this capital, convey- 

 ing to this Government an expression of the grateful 

 appreciation of the President and Council of the 

 Eoyal Society for the cordial cooperation of the Ameri- 

 can Delegate in the arduous and difficult work of the 

 recent Conference on a Catalogue of Scientific Litera- 

 ture. 



I am Sir, 



Your obedient servant, 



(Signed) David J. Hill, 



Asf:istant Secretary. 

 Enclosure : 



From British Amliaseador, December 12, 

 1898, with enclosures. 



Washington, December IS, 189S. 

 The Hon. John Hay, 



Secretartj of State. 



Sir : With reference to my note of July 12th re- 

 specting the International Conference in furtherance 



of the project of an International Catalogue of Scien- 

 tific Literature I am instructed by Her Majesty's 

 principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to 

 convey to the United States Government the grateful 

 appreciation of the President and Council of the 

 Royal Society for the cordial cooperation of the United 

 .States Delegate in the arduous and difficult work of 

 the Conference. 



I am also instructed to furnish you with four copies 

 of the Acta of the Conference, two for the use of the 

 United States Government, and two for that of their 

 Delegate. 

 I have the honor to be 



with the highest consideration 

 Sir : 



Your obedient Servant, 



(Signed) Julian Pa uncefote. 



The House of Eepresentatives took no 

 action in pursuance of the request of the 

 Secretary of State, but the following amend- 

 ment to the Diplomatic and Consular Bill 

 was reported to the Senate and passed by 

 that bodj'. 



International Conference on a Catalogue of 



Scientific Literature. 



For the purpose of carrying out on the part of the 

 United States the recommendation of the Interna- 

 tional Conference on a Catalogue of Scientific Litera- 

 ture, held in London in July, 1896, for the expense 

 of clerk hire and other expenses incident to the work 

 of cataloguing the scientific publications of the United 

 States, the same to be expended under the direction 

 of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, five 

 thousand dollars. 



The Amendment was, however, disagreed 

 to in Conference and lost. 



The following petitions in behalf of the 

 proposition were presented to the Senate : 



The Public Library of the City of Boston, 



Boston, 3Iass., January 35, 1S99. 

 Hon. Garrett A. Hobaet, 



Vice-President of the United States, President of the 

 Senate. 



Sir : The trustees of the Public Library of the City 

 of Boston understand that Congress is to be askefl for 

 an appropriation to be placed at the disposal of the 

 Smithsonian Institution to enable that institution to 

 render necessary service in connection with the Eoyal 

 Society index of scientific publications. 



The trustees beg to urge upon you the importance 

 of this uudertakinu. Although it carries the name of 



