XVI JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS. 



February 1, 1897. 



The Board met this morning. 



Present : The Chancellor (Mr. Chief Justice Fuller) in the chair; the 

 Vice-President, the Hon. A. E. Stevenson ; the Hon. J. S. Morrill, the 

 Hon. S. M. Cullom, the Hon. George Gray, the Hon. Joseph Wheeler, 

 the Hon. R. II. Hitt, the Hon. W. L. Wilson, Dr. Andrew D. White, the 

 Hon. J. B. Henderson, the Hon. Gardiner G. Hubbard, and the Secre- 

 tary, Mr. S. P. Laugley. 



At the Chancellor's suggestion an abstract of the minutes of the 

 meeting of the 2(th of January was read and approved. 



The Secretary then read the resolutions introduced by Mr. Hubbard, 

 who made an explanation of their purpose. A general discussion 

 ensued, and the resolutions were finally adopted in the following form: 



Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed by the Chaucellor, the Secretary 

 of the Smithsonian Institution being ex officio a member, upon the National Museum, 

 the Bureau of American Ethnology, and the National Zoological Park, with especial 

 reference to the ascertainment of what can be done to promote their usefulness and 

 value, and to report to the Board of Regents at its next meeting. 



The Chancellor appointed as members of the committee Mr. Hubbard, 

 Senator Cullom, Mr. Henderson, Mr. Wilson, and the Secretary. 



The Secretary then said that a matter of importance had just been 

 brought to his attention in connection with a difficulty which had 

 occurred to the Chancellor with regard to the possible future appoint- 

 ment of an acting secretary, and which in the Chancellor's opinion 

 made it, though not indispensable, yet desirable, that an assistant sec- 

 retary should be ai)pointed. 



The Secretary said that Mr. Richard Eathbun was a person whose 

 relationships to the Institution had been intimate for nearly twenty 

 years, and who had the Secretary's personal confidence. He now held 

 the position of aid-in-charge of the Institution, and possessed both the 

 ability and experience which would warrant his selection as assistant 

 secretary. The Secretary accordingly asked the consent of the Regents 

 to his appointment. 



The Vice-President then offered the following resolution, which was 

 adopted : 



Resolved, That the appointment by the Secretary of Mr. Richard Rathbun as 

 assistant secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, with duties connected with the 

 bureaus of the Institution other than the National Museum, be approved. 



The Secretary presented a suggestion made by. Mr. Walcott in his 

 capacity as Director of the Geological Survey, and after discussion by 

 the Regents Senator Gray offered the following resolution, which was 

 adopted : 



Resolved, That the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution look with 

 favor upon the proposition to establish a museum of practical and industrial geology 

 in the neighborhood of the National Museum. 



There being no further business to come before the Board, on motion 

 it adjourned. 



