50 REPORT OP NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 
THE ORIGIN OF THE NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 
EXTRACT .FROM GOVERNOR GEORGE T. WERTs’ ANNUAL MESSAGE 
OF 1895. 
"The exhibits (at the World’s Fair, Chicago, 1893) included 
the educational, agricultural, geological and seacoast exhibits. 
These exhibits were very fine and cost large sums of money. If 
preserved intact they are now worth more than their original cost, 
as it would be impossible to duplicate them. The furniture was 
quite costly. The exhibits and furniture are now stored in the 
Fidelity Storage Warehouse in the city of Trenton. 
“In my opinion the exhibits should be preserved, and the State 
should provide some place or places where they may be placed as 
a museum or educational exhibit. They should not be sold as a 
whole, and to sell them piecemeal would produce but an insig¬ 
nificant sum, and destroy what can never be replaced.” 
LAW. 
In accordance with this recommendation of the Governor, the 
Legislature passed the following law: 
Chapter CLXXXIII. 
An Act to establish and maintain a State Museum. 
Whereas, The Governor of this State lias recommended that the exhibits of the 
several departments of the state government at the Columbian exposition at 
Chicago be placed on permanent exhibition; and whereas, said exhibits 
would form a nucleus of an exhibit, which would be of great value in show- 
iug the educational, agricultural and industrial development of the state; 
therefore, 
1- ■ Be it enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New 
Jersey , That the commission now having charge of the restoration of the state 
house shall have power, and it shall be its duty, to cause to be prepared, suitable 
rooms in said state house for a museum for the preservation and display of the 
exhibits of the several state departments at the Chicago exposition, and for such 
other exhibits as may from time to time be placed therein by the commission 
having control of said museum, as provided in the second section of this act, 
and the expenses incurred in the preparation of said rooms shall be paid on the 
