AUDUBON’S LETTERPRESS 449 
with which, since Oct. last, I have till lately been much afflicted. 
I was, most of the session, in such a state of health, as to be 
kept at my lodgings, and when in my place, in the House of 
Representatives, little able to attend to business. As soon as 
I went abroad, after the receipt of your letter, I consulted 
some of the most influential members of Congress, as to the 
probability of being able to pass a bill for the free introduc- 
tion of your work. Last winters session was the short session, 
terminating by the Constitution on the 3d. of March. At this 
session, it is always very difficult to pass any bills, originating 
during the session. The time is regularly taken up by bills, 
prepared the previous winter. In addition to this circum- 
stance, more than half of the last session was taken up, by an 
impeachment before the Senate. A procedure, which suspended 
during its continuance, the legislative business of the two 
Houses, and left no time for scarce anything, beyond the 
annual appropriation bills for the support of the government. 
Under these circumstances, the gentlemen, whom I consulted, 
were of opinion with me that it was impossible, for want of 
time, to pass a bill in your favor, and that it was therefor 
better not to attempt it, at the late session, but to reserve it 
for next winter, when it can be brought up seasonably, and 
with good hope of success. I shall take great pleasure to seize 
the first moment, at the opening of the next session, to bring 
the subject before Congress. 
The portions of your work, which arrived at Washington 
before I left it, were publicly exhibited in the library, and 
attracted great attention and unqualified admiration. The 
same is true of the copy received by the Boston Athenaeum. 
The plates were specially exhibited in the great hall of the 
Athenaeum, to the entire satisfaction and delight of those who 
saw them. 
The copy-right law authorizes any citizen of the U. States 
to take out a copy-right of his work, on depositing a printed 
copy of the title page in the office of the District Court. I 
infer from your letter of the 5th. of March, that you had sent 
copies of the printed sheets of your work to Drs. Harlan and 
