REPORT OF THE SECRETARY FOR 1858. 



To the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution : 



Gentlemen : The principal event of importance in the history of 

 the Institution during the past year is the transfer of the government 

 collections from the Patent Office to the large room of the Smithsonian 

 building. 



It will he recollected that by the law of Congress incorporating this 

 Institution "all objects of art and of foreign and curious research, 

 and all objects of natural history, plants, and geological and mine- 

 ralogical specimens belonging to or hereafter to belong to the United 

 States which may be in the city of Washington, in whosesoever custody 

 the same may be, shall be delivered to such persons as may be author- 

 ized by the Board of Kegents to receive them." 



The law thus giving to the Smithsonian Institution all speci- 

 mens illustrative of nature and art to be found in the several offices 

 and departments of government was not construed as rendering it 

 obligatory on the Eegents to accept these objects if they considered 

 it inexpedient to do so. Inasmuch, then, as this collection was 

 neither essential to the plan of organization nor directly subservi- 

 ent to the comprehensive purpose of the donor in regard to a 

 world-wide benefit, it was the ultimate decision of a majority of the 

 Board that it ought not to be accepted and that no part of the dona- 

 tion ought to be expended in the care of property belonging to the 

 government of the United States. 



Previous to the discussion of this question it had been assumed that 

 the Kegents were under an obligation to take charge of the museum, 

 and, on this account principally, a large and expensive building had 

 been thought necessary. After it was settled, however, that the 

 Eegents were not bound to accept this trust, the work of construction 

 was carried on more slowly, with a view at once to secure certain 

 advantages to the building itself, and to increase the principal by 

 funding the interest of the money which would be absorbed by its 

 completion. 



In the meantime a very large amount of specimens of natural his- 



