REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 19 



C— SPECIAL TOPICS OF THE YEAR. 



THE CINCINNATI EXHIBITION. 



By act of Congress, approved May 28, 1888,* the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion was directed to participate in the Centennial Exposition of the 

 Ohio Valley and Central States, and the latter months of the fiscal year 

 have been devoted by the curators to the preparation of special exhib- 

 its. The fourth of July has been announced as the date of opening the 

 exhibition. Very little time, therefore, remains for the completion of 

 this work. 



THE PROPOSED STATUE TO PROFESSOR BAIRD. 



On December 12, 1887, a billt was introduced into the Senate~by Sen- 

 ator Morrill, appropriating $15,000 for the erection of a bronze statue 

 of Professor Baird, the late Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 

 This bill passed the Senate on February 9, but failed to come up for 

 action in the House of Representatives. 



THE CAPRON COLLECTION. 



For a number of years the collection of lacquers, bronzes, carved ivo- 

 ries, coins, and other works of art, obtained in Japan by the late Gen- 

 eral Horace Capron, has been deposited in the National Museum. It is 

 the property of his heirs, who are desirous of selling it to the Govern- 

 ment. On December 21, 1887, a billf providing for its purchase was in- 

 troduced into the Senate by Hon. Daniel Voorhees, of Indiana. This 

 bill was favorably acted upon in the Senate, but did not come to a vote 

 in the House of Representatives. 



INCREASING GROWTH OF THE COLLECTIONS. 



During the last three years (since the adoption of the standard of the 

 fiscal year by the Smithsonian Institution) the number of accession 

 "lots" received has been 4,623, including nearly five hundred and 

 twenty thousand specimens. The last accession number in June, 1888, 

 was 20831. 



REARRANGEMEMENT OF THE EXHIBITION HALLS. 



The appearance of the exhibition halls has been, it is thought, very 

 much improved during the year. Some new methods of installation 

 have been successfully inaugurated in some of the departments. Sev- 

 eral new forms of cases have also been adopted. The co-operation of the 



* Fiftieth Congress, first session. House resolution No. 127, "to establish a cen- 

 tennial exposition of the Ohio Valley and Central States." lutroduced by Hon. Ben- 

 jamin Butterworth, of Ohio, on March 5, 1888 ; passed the Senate and Honse of Rep- 

 resentatives May 17, and became a public law on May 28, 1888. The snni of |50,000 

 was appropriated in this bill, to euable the Smithsonian Institution, U. S. National 

 Museum, and the U. S. Fish Commission to prepare and send exhibits, 



t Senate bill 140. 



\ Senate bill No; 1033, 



