8 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



uraJ history and ethnology, constituting the National Museum, of which 

 the Institution is the custodian. In regard to the latter, the operations 

 and responsibilities of the directors have been greater than ever before. 

 Congress, at its last session, not only made the usual appropriation of 

 820,000 for the care of the museum, $10,000 for cases, and $2,500 for an 

 extension of the heating-apparatus, but also, in addition to these sums, 

 granted 607,000 for the display of the collections of the National Mu- 

 seum at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. . A part of this latter 

 sum, however, was reserved for the payment of a portion of the cost of 

 a temporary building for the exhibition of the articles belonging to the 

 Government, leaving about $50,000 for the display by the Institution. 

 This latter appropriation was made in connection with a series of appro- 

 priations to enable the several Departments of the Government, as well 

 as the Smithsonian Institution, to participate in the Exhibition. Each 

 of these parties was directed to appoint a representative, the whole 

 forming an executive board, to which was to be given the power to con- 

 trol the disbursements of the appropriations ; the bills to be paid by a 

 disbursing-officer, upon vouchers certified by the respective representa- 

 tives, and countersigned by the chairman of the board. Although the 

 appropriation in question was made by Congress to enable the Institu- 

 tion to discharge certain duties, it was by the arrangement above men- 

 tioned relieved from all responsibility as to the expenditure of the 

 money. 



To Prof. Spencer F. Baird, Assistant Secretary of the Institution, I 

 assigned the duty of representing it in the Government board of exhib- 

 itors. He has with much energy devoted his time and thoughts to the 

 work, aud has prepared a report, a copy of which is herewith presented, 

 of what has been done on the part of the Institution to carry out the 

 intention of CoDgress. 



The results of the operations of the Institution in connection with 

 the Centennial Exhibition will probably have a much greater effect 

 on the future of the establishment than is at first sight apparent. The 

 large number of specimens which have been collected by the several 

 Departments of Government and by the Institution itself in view of this 

 Exhibition will greatly increase the contents of the National Museum, and 

 if we add to these the specimens which will be presented by foreign 

 powers, of which we have already had intimations, the number will be 

 swelled to an extent far beyond the capacity of the present building to 

 contain them, and an additional edifice will be required for their accom- 

 modation. 



In the consideration of this matter, the questions will arise whether 

 the building required shall consist of an extension of the present Smith- 

 sonian edifice, or an entirely separate building ; and these questions will 

 involve another, viz, whether it is advisable to continue, at least with- 

 out some modification, the connection which now exists between the 

 Smithsonian Institution and the National Museum. 



