PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE 

 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 



At the Annual Meeting Held January 26, 1898. 



In accordance with the resolution of the Board of Eegents adopted 

 January 8, 1890, by which its stated annual meeting occurs on the 

 fourth Wednesday of January, the Board met to-day at 10 o'clock a. m. 



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

 the Hon. Garret A. Hobart, Vice President of the United States; the 

 Hon. J. S. Morrill; the Hon. George Gray; the Hon. Joseph Wheeler; 

 the Hon. R. R. Hitt; the Hon. Robert Adams, jr.; the Hon. William 

 L. Wilson; the Hon. J. B. Henderson; the Hon. Alexander Graham 

 Bell ; and the Secretary, Mr. S. P. Langley. 



Excuses for nonattendance were presented from Senator Cullom and 

 Dr. William Preston Johnston. 



At the Chancellor's suggestion, the Secretary read the minutes of 

 the last meeting in abstract. 



The Chancellor said, in relation to the matter of the appointment of 

 an Acting Secretary, that he had found that his predecessor, when he 

 made an appointment of this kind, occasionally, he could not say always, 

 reported it to the Board, and as he had made an appointment of an 

 Acting Secretary last May, he would read its terms as a report to the 

 Board : 



Whereas it has been signified, to the undersigned, Chancellor of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, that the contingency of the inability of the Secretary of the Smithso- 

 nian Institution to discharge the duties of that office is about to arise, by reason of 

 his absence from the United States ; 



Now, therefore, by the authority conferred on me by the act of Congress entitled 

 "An act to provide for the appointment of an Acting Secretary of the Smithsoniau 

 Institution," approved May 13, 1884 (23 Stat., 21), I hereby appoint Mr. Kichard 

 Eathbun an Assistant Secretary of the Institution, to act as Secretary of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution during the inability of the Secretary to perform its duties. 



Given under my hand at Washington, D. C, this 22d day of May, A. D. 1897. 



Melville W. Fuller, 

 Chancellor of the Smithsonian Institution. 



There being no further remarks, the Chancellor declared the minutes 

 approved. 



The Secretary said that he had the sad duty to officially announce 

 the death of Mr. Gardiner G. Hubbard, a late resident Regent of the 

 Institution. 



