No. 172.1 
3 
Was other evidence deemed necessary, it could be adduced, clearly 
substantiating the superiority of this enterprize over any other work 
■of the kind in the United States. And this testimony could be mul- 
tiplied to any extent, from persons capable of deciding in these mat*- 
ters, both in America and Europe. 
The object embraced in the resolution submitted to your committee 
is as to " the practicability of furnishing a large edition of the Natu- 
al History of this State, at such a price as will enable all who 
<;hoose, to possess themselves of the work." It has been suggested 
to dispose of the copyright of this work to some publisher, for the 
benefit of the State. At this suggestion, the question at once arises, 
shall the State of New-York now sully, by mercenary motives, the 
great and splendid achievement she has accomplished, in developing 
the abundant resources of her mineral wealth ? And if the State can 
obtain $30,000, or any like sum, for the copyright, (which your com- 
mittee do not believe, for reasons to be assigned hereafter,) would the 
Legislature be acting wisely, in thus placing the vast amount of valu- 
able scientific information in the hands of a publisher, whereby he 
would, of necessity, be compelled not only to pay the expenses of 
publication, but also the cost of copyright, to which add publisher's 
profits on a limited sale, (for such would, in this case, be the result,) 
and ihe public are as efTectually prevented from enjoying the benefits 
of the information contained in the work, as though it was written in 
Hebrew. None, except the most wealthy, could purchase the work, 
and they are not always the most ready to patronize science, or the 
most efficient in discriminating it. To this, however, your committee 
would make some few honorable exceptions.* 
As a general rule, scientific men possess but moderate means; 
iheir business is to amass and diffuse general intelligence. They are 
incapacitated, from the very nature of their avocations, to accumulate 
wealth ; they are not disposed to make merchandize of the labor of 
their minds, but are actuated by nobler motives. It is no objection 
to this sentiment, that book-makers of the present day are largely in 
the market, competing for the favors of the public, through the return 
of dollars and cents ; yet, your committee would here make ihe dis- 
tinction between the book-maker and the man of science : the former, 
sordid, penurious, miserly; the latter, free, generous, and philanthropic. 
* Stephen Van Rensselaer, whose bounjy first commenced the plan. 
