THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 121 



supposed, but the establishment of an individual, and is to bear and 

 perpetuate his name. 



4. The objects of the Institution are — 1st, to increase, and 2d, to dif- 

 fuse, knowledge among men. 



5. These two objects should not be confounded with one another. 

 The first is to increase the existing stock of knowledge by the addition 

 of new truths ; and the second to disseminate knowledge, thus in- 

 creased, among men. 



6. The will makes no restriction in favor of any particular kind of 

 knowledge ; hence all branches are entitled to a share of attention. 



7. Knowledge can be increased by different methods of facilitating and 

 promoting the discovery of new truths, and can be most efficiently dif- 

 fused among men by means of the press. 



8. To effect the greatest amount of good, the organization should be 

 such as to enable the Institution to produce results in the way of in- 

 creasing and diffusing knowledge, which cannot be produced by the 

 existing institutions in our country. 



9. The organization should also be such as can be adopted provi- 

 sionally, can be easily reduced to practice, receive modifications, or be 

 abandoned, in whole or in part, without a sacrifice of the funds. 



10. In order to make up for the loss of time occasioned by the delay 

 of eight years in establishing the Institution, a considerable portion of the 

 interest which has accrued should be added to the principal. 



11. In proportion to the wide field of knowledge to be cultivated, 

 the funds are small. Economy should therefore be consulted in the 

 construction of the building ; and not only should the first cost of the 

 edifice be considered, but also the continual expense of keeping it in 

 repair, and of the support of the establishment necessarily connected 

 with it. There should also be but few individuals permanently sup- 

 ported by the Institution. 



12. The plan and dimensions of the building should be determined by 

 the plan of the organization, and not the converse. 



13. It should be recollected that mankind in general are to be bene- 

 fitted by the bequest ; and that, therefore, all unnecessary expenditure 

 on local objects would be a perversion of the trust. 



14. Besides the foregoing considerations, deduced immediately from 

 the will of Smithson, regard must be had to certain requirements of the 

 act of Congress establishing the Institution. These are a library, a 



j museum, and a gallery of art, with a building on a liberal scale to con- 

 ^ tain them. 



SECTION I. 



Plan of organization of the Institution, in accordance with the foregoing 

 deductions from the will of Smithson. 



To Increase Knowledge. It is proposed — 



1. To stimulate men of talent to make original researches, by offer- 

 ing suitable rewards for memoirs containing new truths ; and, 



2. To appropriate annually a portion of the income for particular 

 researches, under the direction of suitable persons. 



