14 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



bequest, as well as by the increasing expense of sustaining a large 

 building, a library, and museum. It is to be hoped, however, that 

 at least a partial relief will hereafter be afforded by an annual appro- 

 priation, which it is reasonable to expect government will make for 

 the keeping and exhibition of the collections of the various exploring 

 expeditions which have been entrusted to the care of the Regents. 



At the last session of Congress an appropriation was made for the 

 construction and erection of cases to receive the collections of the 

 United States Exploring Expedition and others in Washington, and 

 also for the transfer and arrangement of the specimens. This appro- 

 priation was granted in accordance with the recommendation of the 

 late Secretary of the Interior and the Commissioner of Patents, in 

 order that the large room in the Patent Office occupied by the museum 

 might be used for the more legitimate purposes of that establishment. 

 We presume that the other part of the recommendation will also be 

 carried out, namely, that the annual appropriation be continued which 

 has heretofore been made for the care of this portion of the govern- 

 ment property. While, on the one hand, no appropriation should be 

 made which would serve to lessen the distinctive character of Smith- 

 son's bequest, on the other it is evident that the government should 

 not impose any burdens upon the Institution which would impair its 

 usefulness or divert its funds from their legitimate purpose. 



It was stated in the last report that the extra fund of the Insti- 

 tution, which had been saved from the accrued interest, was invested 

 in State Stocks. This investment was made because the fund was at 

 the time drawing no interest, and because, until action could be pro- 

 cured by Congress in relation to receiving said fund into the United 

 States Treasury, it was deemed the safest disposition of the money. 

 Though a temporary depreciation of these stocks took place during 

 the last year, there is no reason to regret the investment. Their 

 marketable value is at present about the same as it was at the time 

 they were purchased. 



By reference to the report of the Executive Committee it will be 

 seen that the expenditures during the year, though less than the 

 amount of receipts, have somewhat exceeded the estimates. This has 

 been occasioned, first, by unexpected repairs which were found neces- 

 sary to the building, in consequence of an unprecedented hail storm, 

 which destroyed several thousand panes of glass and did considerable 

 injury to the roof and other parts of the edifice ; secondly, by an 

 expansion of the system of foreign exchanges, rendered necessary by 

 the large amount of material entrusted to the Institution by the 



