463 
THE APRIL MEETING^ 1844 , 
It may be said, with truth, that as a whole, the exercises of the week realized 
the hopes of all, and exceeded the expectations of many. 
A subscription was obtained from various individuals to defray the expenses of 
the meetings, and of the publication of the proceedings. The fund is placed in 
charge of the Corresponding Secretary. 
The committee have felt much embarrassment in determining upon the disposi¬ 
tion to be made of the essays and papers read. Their publication, or that of some 
of them, is doubtless expected by those who contributed to the fund for defraying 
expenses. But they are too numerous and voluminous to be published entire. 
Some of them are upon subjects foreign to the purposes of the meetings and of the 
Institute, and for these and other reasons, a selection from them is indispensable. 
The engagements of the members of the committee will not permit them to un¬ 
dertake this task of selection, even if they deemed themselves otherwise qualified. 
They were considering the question whether some scientific gentlemen might not 
be engaged to read the papers that are or may be left by the authors for publication, 
and to recommend such as it might be deemed advisable to publish, when the reso¬ 
lution of the Institute of the 10th instant reached them, and happily relieved them 
of the difficulties of the case. They will, with great pleasure, instruct the Cor¬ 
responding Secretary of the Institute to bring before you the papers submitted to 
the committee, and in his hands. 
For the committee, 
J. C. SPENCER, Chairman . 
r\ . ' 
Washington, June 17, 1844. 
RESOLUTIONS OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE, AUTHORIZING 
THE PUBLICATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE PROCEED¬ 
INGS, &c., &c. 
The committee having, in compliance with a request of the Society, submitted its 
report, the same was communicated to the meeting of the 8th of July, by the Cor¬ 
responding Secretary, who accompanied it by a report, and the correspondence and 
papers relating to the meeting ; whereupon, the following resolutions were offered 
by the Secretary and adopted: 
Resolved, That the report of the committee, and that of the Corresponding Se¬ 
cretary, communicating said report, be adopted. 
Resolved, That it is expedient to publish a volume of the proceedings of the 
meeting of April, 1844, and that for this object the Corresponding Secretary of the 
Institute be requested to obtain all the papers, addresses, and communications which 
constituted the exercises of said meeting. 
Resolved, That, as soon as all the materials shall be ready for publication, the 
Vice President appoint a committee of publication, of which he shall be the chair¬ 
man, whose duty it shall be to examine the materials carefully, to reject all papers 
it thinks inexpedient to publish, to omit passages it may conceive to be objection¬ 
able, and to reduce such as appear to be too long; and also to make a contract for 
the publication of as many copies of the work as they shall think proper, which, 
when published, shall be distributed in the following manner: 
1st. One copy to every subscriber who has paid, or who shall pay, the sum of 
five dollars. 
2d. One copy to every society and institution in the United States, and foreign 
countries, in correspondence with the National Institute; one copy to every col- 
