2 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 
"Eternal and almighty God, who from Thy throne in heaven dost look down 
upon Thy children in love, we thank Thee for the opportunity of meeting here on 
this occasion. We bless Thee that when Thou didst create this world Thou didst 
give unto Thy creatures the power of discernment of Thy law. We thank Thee 
that as thou didst send forth Thy prophets, so didst Thou also send Thy spirit 
unto Thy children that they might know and interpret the laws of this temporal 
life e\en as thy servants of old have shown us the way of the life to come. We 
bles^ Thee that Thou hast given unto us so much of an appreciation of the 
merits of our fellow man, that so many of us are gathered here to do honor to 
the memory of the man whose statute we are now to unveil. And we ask Thee, 
our I ather, that as he has served his race and loved his God, his memory may 
live for all generations, teaching posterity that those who serve their Creator 
best, serve also His creatures best. We bless Thee for all Thy mercies with us 
and ascribe unto Thee all honor, glory, dominion, and power, forever, amen." 
At the conclusion of the prayer Chief Justice Waite, chancellor of the Smith- 
sonian Institution, delivered the following address : 
"On the first of June, 1880, at the instance of Mr. Morrill, of Vermont, in 
the Senate, and of Mr. Clymer, of Pennsylvania, in the house of representatives, 
congress authorized the regents of the Smithsonian institution to contract with 
Mr W. W. Story "for a statue in bronze of Joseph Henry, late secretary of the 
Smithsonian institution;" and, availing themselves of the presence in Washington 
of the members of the National Academy of Sciences, with which Prof. Henry 
was so prominently and honorably connected for many years, the regents have 
asked you here to-day to witness the presentation to the public of the result of 
what has been done under this authority. 
On the tenth of August, 1846, congress established the Smithsonian Institu- 
tion to take the property which had been given to the United States by the will 
of James Smithson, of England, to found an establishment of that name "for the 
incrL^ase and diffusion of knowledge among men." 
The business of the Institution was to be managed by a board of regents, and 
they were required to elect some suitable person as Secretary of the Institution. 
On the third of December, 1846, the board met to perform that duty, and 
before entering on the election, adopted the following resolution : 
Resolved, That it is essential for the advancement of the proper interests of 
the trust that the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution be a man possessing 
weight of character and a high grade of talent; and that it is further desirable 
that he possess eminent scientific and general acquirements ; that he be a man 
capable of advancing science and promoting letters by original research and effort, 
well qualified to act as a respected channel of communication between the Insti- 
tutioa and scientific and literary individuals and societies in this and foreign 
countries; and, in a wort , a man worthy to represent before the world of science 
and letters the Institution over which this board presides. 
I.Limediately on the adoption of the resolution the board proceeded to the elec- 
tion, aad the first ballot resulted in the choice of Professor Henry, then occupy- 
