200 
or are likely to be taken, in the countries whose gov- 
ernments are represented at the Conference, toward 
establishing organizations for the purpose of securing 
the end had in view in Resolution 16. 
Under these circumstances it seems especially de- 
sirable that the government of the United States 
should take its part in the proposed work by provid- 
ing for the continuous cataloguing of scientific papers 
published in the United States. It can for this pur- 
pose call to its aid a national institution well prepared 
to direct and supervise the undertaking. The Smith- 
sonian Institution, founded by private munificence 
for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among 
men and placed in trust under the government of 
the United States, was the original proposer of the 
undertaking now under consideration, and has been 
made the agent of the government in the direction 
of important scientific enterprises. We would, there- 
fore, respectfully suggest that the Department of 
State communicate with the Secretary of the Smith- 
sonian Institution upon this subject, more especially 
as to the propriety and feasibility of the work being 
undertaken by that Institution and as to the probable 
expense, and that when these facts are ascertained 
the matter will be laid before Congress with such rec- 
ommendation as the Department, in its wisdom») 
may deem appropriate. 
Very respectfully, your obedient servants, 
Simon NEWCOMB, 
JOHN S. BILLINGS. 
The SECRETARY OF STATE, 
Department of State, Washington, D. C. 
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 
Washington, October 27, 1896. 
Srz: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt 
of your communications of the 16th and 21st instant, 
inclosing copies of a report of the delegates of this 
government to the International Conference on a 
Catalogue of Scientific Literature, summoned in 
London by the British government at the request of 
the Royal Society in July last, and inviting an 
expression of my opinion as to the propriety and 
feasibility of the United States taking part, through 
the Smithsonian Institution, in the proposed work 
by providing for the continuous cataloguing of scien- 
tific literature published in the United States, as 
suggested by the delegates, and further requesting 
an estimate of the probable expense attendant thereto. 
I fully concur in the view of the delegates as to the 
great importance of a successful execution of the con- 
clusions of the Conference, and as to the propriety of 
this government taking its share of the proposed 
work by providing for the cataloguing of the scientific 
publications of the United States. This opinion is 
strengthened by the fact that the recommendations 
SCIENCE. 
[N. S. Vou. VI. No. 136. 
made are due to results emanating from the Inter- 
national Conference, at which the United States was 
officially represented, and by the further consider- 
ations that the benefits to be derived from this under- 
taking are not only great and far-reaching for the 
scientific progress of America, but also of universal 
value, and that all the greatand many of the smaller 
nations will take part in the work. 
I recognize also the propriety of the suggestion that 
the government should employ the Smithsonian In- 
stitution as an agentin this matter, particularly since 
the Institution, as the delegates haye pointed out, 
first suggested this subject in 1855, and since it has 
been from its earliest organizat on interested in 
scientific bibliogrophy. 
I should, however, be reluctant to commit the In- 
stitution to the appearance of soliciting Congress in 
this matter in any case, or to the undertaking of the 
enterprise, however worthy, unless provision could 
be made for the necessary expenses of the work. After 
considering the subject, it seems to me that the work, 
if assigned to the Smithsonian Institution, would 
require a person of special qualifications to imme- 
diately assist the Secretary, together with a number 
of trained clerical assistants, and that the salaries for 
these persons and the expenses incident to the work 
would require an appropriation of not less than 
$10,000 per annum. 
Expenditures on this appropriation would probably 
not need to be available before the fiscal year com- 
mencing July 1, 1899, though it would seem to be ad- 
visable that if the government is to cooperate in the 
proposed work there should be some earlier assurance 
of this. 
Should the views here given meet with your ap- 
proval, I venture to express the hope that the Depart- 
ment of State will bring this matter to the attention 
of the President for transmission to Congress, as was 
done on a previous occasion when the Institution was 
requested to assume the care of the international 
exchange of publications in behalf of the government. 
I have, etc., 
8. P. LANGLEY, 
Secretary. 
Hon. RICHARD OLNEY, 
Secretary of State. 
Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives 
of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
That for the purpose of carrying out on the part of 
the United States the recommendation of the Inter- 
national Conference on a Catalogue of Scientific 
Literature, held in London in July, eighteen hundred 
and ninety-six, the sum of ten thousand dollars, or 
so much thereof as may be necessary, be, and the 
same is hereby, appropriated, out of any money in 
the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the 
