[211] 16 



And then, on motion of Mr. Evans, 



The board adjourned until Monday next, at 10 o'clock, a. rn. 



MONDAY, December 14, 1S40. 



The Chancellor laid before the board a letter from Professor Henry, 

 accepting the appointment of Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



Mr. Hough, from the committee appointed on the 9th instant to con- 

 fer with the President of the United States and the other persons named 

 in the fourth section of the act establishing the institution, made a verbal 

 report, stating that the committee had had an interview with the Presi- 

 dent and the persons mentioned, but had come to no final conclusion as 

 to the matter for which they were appointed. 



And then the board adjourned until Monday next, at 10 o'clock, a. m. 



MONDAY, December 21, 1846. 



Chief Justice Taney, one of the regents, appeared. 



Joseph Henry, the Secretary elect of the Board of Regents and of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, appeared, and entered upon the duties of his 

 office. 



Mr. Owen, from the committee appointed on the 9th instant to confer 

 with the President of the United States and the other persons mentioned in 

 the fourth section of the act of Congress establishing the Smithsonian 

 Institution, in relation to the location of the buildings of the institution, 

 reported verbally that the committee had had an interview with those 

 persons, but had not yet received their final decision upon the subject. 

 On motion of Mr. Owen, 



Resolved, That the report made by Mr. Owen, on the 1st day of De- 

 cember instant, from the Committee on the Organization of the Institu- 

 tion, together with the resolutions accompanying the same, which have 

 not been agreed to by the board, be recommitted to said committee. 



The board adjourned until Wednesday next, at 10 o'clock, a. m. 



WEDNESDAY, December 23, 1846. 



Mr. Hough, from the committee appointed on the 9th instant to confer 

 with the President of the United States and the other persons named in 

 the fourth section of the act establishing the Smithsonian Institution, and 

 to ask their consent to the selection by said regents of that portion of 

 the public reservation called the " Mall," lying between Seventh and 

 Twelfth streets, in the city of Washington, as the site for the necessary 

 buildings of said institution, made a verbal report, accompanied by a 

 copy of the preamble and resolutions adopted on the 9th instant, endorsed 

 as follows, viz : 



" The consent of all the persons named in the fourth section of the act 

 to establish the Smithsonian Institution is not given to the site herein 

 selected. 



"JAMES K. POLK." 



On motion of Mr. Owen, 

 Resolved, That the regents of the Smithsonian Institution do select 

 and appropriate, as the site for their building, the south half of so much 



