No. 172.1 
11 
entitles him, not only from this Legislature, but from men of science 
everywhere. 
The bill accompanying this report was submitted for his opinion ; 
upon returning it he wrote as follows : 
Dr. Charles Drake : 
Dear sir — I have carefully perused and re-perused the accompany- 
ing bill ; it is liberal on the part of the State, and I trust it will be met 
in a somewhat corresponding spirit by the booksellers, who can afford 
to print the above works, who have,' after all, much to say on these 
matters. Could the common school districts be gently constrained, 
each to purchase a copy, the difficulty would be at once obviated. 
I remain, very respectfully, 
Your obed't serv't. 
T. ROMEYN BECK. 
Albany, March 11, 1846. 
Your committee would not advise any action in reference to the in- 
structing school district libraries to purchase the work, fully believing 
that they will duly appreciate the advantages offered, and will avail 
themselves of the first opportunity presented of placing it in their li- 
braries. 
From the firm conviction of your committee upon this point, they 
are of opinion that a large number of copies will be sold, ensuring a 
speedy and effectual guarantee for the publication of the work as re- 
commended by them. 
Your committee deem it expedient to state that the plates should 
be continued in the quarto form the same as the present edition. Mr. 
Endicott has furnished an estimate, in which he says : " There are 
about equal to 700 plates quarto in the whole work." These can be 
furnished on paper equal to the first edition, for printing and paper, 
$12.75. It will be necessary to bind them in about four volumes 
quarto, which will add something to the expense, probably making the 
cost of the plates bound in four volumes amount to fourteen dollars 
and fifty cents. If the paper, on which the plates are printed, is re- 
duced in weight and quality, which it can readily be, it will reduce 
the price probably to 1 2 dollars per sett ; this would enable all to 
