NOTICE 
TO THE BIEMBERS 
OF THE 
NATIONAL INSTITUTE. 
A reference to the last cc Memorial to Congress/ 5 
(p. 503,) which was presented to the Senate by the 
honorable Lewis Cass, and to the House of Representa¬ 
tives by the venerable John Quincy Adams, will afford 
the members some idea of the present condition of the 
National Institute. Notwithstanding that renewed ap¬ 
peal, Congress has again omitted to grant relief. More 
than a thousand boxes, barrels, trunks, &,c., &c., em¬ 
bracing collections of value, variety, and rarity in lite¬ 
rature, in the arts, and in natural history, remain on 
hand unopened—the liberal contributions of members 
at home and abroad—of Governments—of learned and 
scientific societies and institutions of foreign countries 
and of our own—and of munificent friends and patrons 
in every part of the world. The worth, extent, and 
American interest of these collections may be under¬ 
stood, though imperfectly, by a perusal of the four 
Bulletins which are now before the public. For the 
preservation, reception, and display of these, the Institute 
has neither funds, nor a suitable depository. The usual 
meetings of the members have been suspended for a con¬ 
siderable period. Hence the regular proceedings have 
