THE APRIL MEETING^ 1844. 
421 
DIRECTORS ON THE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT. 
Honorable DANIEL WEBSTER, Secretary of State. 
“ W. FORWARD, Secretary of the Treasury. 
“ J. C. SPENCER, Secretary of War. 
** A. P. UPSHUR, Secretary of the Navy. 
“ CHAS. WICKLIFFE, Postmaster General. 
** HUGH S. LEGARE, Attorney General. 
DIRECTORS ON THE PART OF THE INSTITUTE. 
Honorable W. C. PRESTON, United States Senate. 
“ LEVI WOODBURY, United States Senate. 
Colonel JOHN J. ABERT, Corps of Top. Engineers. 
“ J. G. TOTTEN, Corps of Engineers. 
A. O. DAYTON, Esq., Fourth Auditor. 
Commodore L. WARRINGTON, United States Navy. 
SECOND CIRCULAR. 
Washington, February 24, 1843. 
To the Friends and Correspondents of the National Institute and the Members of 
Scientific and Learned Societies of the United States , tyc. y tyc., #c. 
On the 15th October last a circular was addressed to the scientific and literary 
men of the United States, transmitting a copy of certain proceedings of the Na¬ 
tional Institute for the Promotion of Science, and inviting particular attention to 
that portion of the proceedings which contemplated the general meeting proposed 
by the Institute to be held at the seat of Government. 
This circular was, at first, attempted to be sent directly to individuals, but it was 
soon found impracticable to address all who were entitled to special invitation. 
The members of the Institute, and those who had, in various ways, most liberally 
contributed to the promotion of its objects, were of course expected to attend; yet 
the difficulty of obtaining all the names and residences of others, eminent in the 
various branches of knowledge, rendered it necessary to resort to a more general 
mode of effecting the purpose. With this view, the circular was published in the 
papers of the District of Columbia, and was thus made general. 
The object of the first circular was, not to fix on any particular time for the 
meeting, nor was it intended by the Institute or the committee, to make Washing¬ 
ton the place of all subsequent meetings, if it should appear to be contrary to the 
judgment of those who had the right to decide upon such an important question. 
It was rather to obtain preliminary views of the friends of the Institute, and 
general information, as to the time and mode of convening ; and, afterwards, to 
adopt a plan and a time, (which might be gathered from the replies of those whose 
opinions had been solicited,) to be the most convenient. 
These replies have been numerous and interesting, and present, almost without 
exception, a decided approbation of the step that has been recommended, as well as 
of the course of the Institute, under the auspices of which that step has been be¬ 
gun. The committee, after having carefully considered these replies, have come to 
the conclusion that the month of April, 1844, is the period which will best suit the 
convenience of all. 
The committee were aware that several previous attempts had been made to get 
up a similar meeting upon the plan of the British Association, and that those 
No. 3. 26 
