2 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



the immense extension of the country since the Government accepted 

 the trust ; " 



so that it seems most desirable that the fund should be enlarged, if only 

 to represent the original position of its finances relatively to those of 

 the country and institutions of learning, and nothing has occurred in the 

 course of the last year which does not rather increase than diminish the 

 force of such an observation. It is on the Congressional Regents that 

 the Institution must largely depend for making its wants known to 

 Congress, and with reference to the suggestion that the Smithsonian 

 fund should be enlarged by re-contribution from the Government as well 

 as from contributions from private individuals, I desire to repeat the 

 remark of Professor Henry, made in 1872, to the effect that the Govern- 

 ment, in equity, should then have paid the Institution $300,000 for the 

 use of the present building. This building, erected wholly out of Smith- 

 sonian funds, at the cost of over half a million dollars, has, with the 

 exception of a small portion, continued to be used rent free by the 

 Government ever since that time. 



I recall briefly in this connection the well known facts that the will 

 of James Smithsou was made on October 23, 1826, and that by an act 

 of Congress approved July 1, 1836, the bequest was accepted, while 

 under the act of August 10, 1846, a definite plan of organization was 

 adopted, and that finally, by the act of February 8, 1867, the Regents 

 were authorized to add to the Smithsonian fund such other sum as they 

 might see fit to deposit, not exceeding, with the original bequest, the 

 sum of $1,000,000. 



The original bequest and the sums since added are as follows : 



Bequest of Suiithson, 1346 $515,169.00 



Residuary legacy of Suiithson, 1867 26,210.63 



Deposits from savings of income, etc., 1867 108,620.37 



Bequest of James Hamilton, 1874 1,000.00 



Bequest of Simeon Habel, 1680 500.00 



Deposit from proceeds of sale of bonds, 1881 51 , 500. 00 



Total permanent Smithsonian fund in the Treasury of the United 



States, bearing iuterest at 6 per cent, pei annum 703,000. 00- 



There may, therefore, be added to the fund nearly $300,000, on which 

 the Institution is entitled to receive 6 per cent, under the act of February r 

 1867, while it has received in bequests only the insignificant sum of 

 $1,500. This is in striking contrast to the liberality which is understood 

 to have endowed more than one American institution of learning within 

 this time with something like ten times the amount of the entire Smith- 

 sonian fund. No institution in the country, it is believed, enjoys wider 

 measure of public confidence or is more universally known, and it would 

 seem that some action might well be taken to bring these facts before 

 those who are seeking a trustee for the disposition of means intended 

 for the advancement of knowledge. 



In this connection, however, it seems proper to invite the attention of 

 the Regents to the circumstances of the bequest of James Hamilton,, 



