REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 57 



of either House of Congress, and fifty copies additional of all documents printed in 

 excess of the usual number, together with fifty copies of each publication issued 

 by any Department or Bureau of the Government, be placed at the disposal of the 

 Joint Committee on the Library, who shall exchange the same, through the agency 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, for such works published in foreign countries, and 

 especially by foreign Governments, as may be deemed by said committee au equiva- 

 lent; said works to be deposited in the Library of Congress. 

 "Approved March 2, 1867." 



It will be observed from the text of the law that the primary object of the act 

 was to secure for the Library of Congress promptly, and with regularity, the official 

 publications of foreign countries concerning legislation, jurisprudence, commerce, 

 manufactures, agriculture, statistics, etc. 



No appropriation was made, or even intimated, for this service, but as several 

 months and perhaps a year would elapse before a sufficient number of documents 

 would accumulate to admit of a systematic transmission, a circular letter was mailed 

 through the official channel of the Department of State for the purpose of ascertain- 

 ing what Governments would cooperate in the proposed arrangement. In due course 

 so many foreign Governments accepted the proposition as to insure its success, though 

 some countries were derelict in specifying to whom or in what manner the cases 

 should be forwarded, it being understood that they would be delivered free of freight 

 charges to any place in Washington or New York that might be designated. 



These delays in consummating the desired plan were primarily due to the absence 

 of concerted action in designating proper officers or establishing bureaus in differ- 

 ent countries and providing sufficient means for defraying the attendant expenses. 

 Though supported by the leading men in literature and science throughout the 

 world, it was a slow process to obtain Government aid in the several countries most 

 interested in the movement. 



Several attempts were made by the Institution to induce Congress to assist in 

 defraying the expense incurred in the distribution of Government publications, and 

 also to obtain aid in the distribution of works upon scientific and literary subjects, 

 the entire expense of which having in the year 1876 exceeded $10,000, or one-fourth 

 of the income of the Institution, and was threatening a curtailment of expenses and 

 serious impediment to research in its several scientific branches. 



The persistent efforts of scientists and the growing interest manifested by the 

 various Governments resulted in the holding of an International Congress in Paris 

 during the months of August and September, 1875, at which were present several 

 hundred scientists from all parts of the globe, and representing the following National 

 Governments: Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Chile, Dominican Republic, France, Ger- 

 many, Italy, Hungary, Norway, Portugal, Roumania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Swiss 

 Confederation. Turkey, and the United States. As a result of this conference the 

 following plan for the international exchange of scientific publications was proposed 

 and unanimously adopted: 



"The undersigned delegates propose to request their respective Governments to 

 organize in each country a central bureau, whose, duty it shall be to collect such 

 cartographic, geographic, and other publications as may be issued at the expense of 

 the State, and to distribute the same among the various nations which adopt the 

 pn sent programme. 



"These bureaus, which shall correspond directly with each other, shall serve to 

 transmit the international scientific communications of learned societies. 



"They slull serve as the intermediate agents for the procurement, on the best pos- 

 sible terms, of books, maps, instruments, etc, published or manufactured in each 

 country, and desired by any of the contracting countries. 



'■ Bach country shall transmit at least one copy of its national publications to the 

 otlnr contract ing countries." 



In order to formulate the general plan adopted by the International Congress into 

 tangible form to admit of more definitely arriving at the desired conclusions by the 

 different countries interested, Baron do Vatteville was charged by his colleagues 

 with the duty of forming at Paris a commission of exchanges, which, on January 29, 

 1876, adopted a code of rules, a copy of which was duly transmitted to Professor 



