ART. III. The commission shall send to the minister and secretary of state of imperial affairs, before the 31st day of March of each year, a detailed report of the work accomplished and exchanges made during the preceding year, suggesting the changes it deems it advisable to make in the present instructions. ART. IV. The materials necessary for carrying on (expediting) the business of the commission shall be furnished by the office of the secretary of state of imperial affairs. Palace of Rio de Janeiro, November 13, 1879. FRANCISCO MARIA SODIA PEREIRA. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have the pleasure to inclose herein a copy of "regulations of the Russian commission for the international exchange of works of science and art," and a copy of a note from the chargé d'affaires ad interim of Russia, relating thereto, and to say that the department will be happy to communicate to the legation the purport of any observations which you may see proper to make in reference to the intelligence hereby conveyed. I am, sir, your obedient servant, Prof. SPENCER F. BAIRD, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. JOHN HAY, Acting Secretary. [Inclosure No. 1.-Translation.] LEGATION OF RUSSIA IN THE UNITED STATES, MR. SECRETARY OF STATE: The geographical congress which met at Paris in 1875, having recognized the necessity of organizing, in a uniform manner, in the various countries, the system of exchanging the various administrative, literary, or scientific publications of international interest, a resolution of the council of the empire, adopted April 10, 22, 1877, and sanctioned by His Majesty the Emperor, made provision for the establishment of a Russian commission of international exchange. The imperial ministry now informs me that this commission has just been appointed under the presidency of Privy Councilor Bytchow, and is composed of delegates from the various branches of the government of the empire. It will be governed by special regulations, a copy of which I have the honor herewith to transmit. I have been instructed to bring the foregoing to the notice of the Federal Government, and to inform your excellency that it will be the duty of this commission to enter into relations with the commission of the same kind existing in the United States, as regards all those matters which form the object of its mission. Communications intended for the Russian commission should be addressed as follows: To the President of the Russian Commission of International Exchange, Imperial Public Library, St. Petersburg. I avail myself of this occasion to beg you, Mr. Secretary of State, to be pleased to accept the assurance of my highest consideration and most profound respect. G. WILLAMOV. His excellency WILLIAM M. EVARTS, Secretary of State, &c., &c. [Inclosure No.2.] Regulations of the Russian commission for the international exchange of works of science and art. The duties of the Russian commission shall be as follows: 1. It shall collect for the governments and learned institutions of foreign countries the publications intended for them, either as a gift or by way of exchange, and shall have charge of the shipment of such publications. 2. It shall send to the official and learned institutions of the empire of Russia the publications which are intended for them, either gratuitously or by way of exchange by foreign governments or institutions. Packages must be addressed to this commission. 3. It shall transmit to foreign commissions for the governments and learned institutions of foreign countries any information that may be asked of it and that it may be able to supply. 4. It shall furnish to the official or learned institutions of such foreign countries as may request it through their respective commissions information concerning the documents in the Russian archives and concerning the conditious on which a copy thereof will be furnished to them. 5. It shall have charge of the exchange of duplicates. 6. On the recommendation of foreign commissions it shall facilitate the accomplishment of their mission to scientific men visiting Russia, furnishing them, to this effect, with information, letters of recommendation, &c. The Russian commission shall use its influence to the same end with foreign commissions in behalf of Russian scientists. 7. It shall act as a medium with foreign commissions for the obtainment of such information as may be required by the official and learned institutions of Russia. 8. It shall publish annually a catalogue of the official publications issued by the various departments of the government, the statistical committees, and the learned institutions and societies. Within the limits of this programme the Russian commission will enter into corre spondence with foreign commissions of the same character. The commission shall present an annual report of its proceedings to the minister of public instruction. SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, October 23, 1880. SIR: A geographical congress of nations, with delegates from the principal governments of the world, was held at Paris in the summer of 1875, and among the representatives was one from the United States of America. One of the results of the deliberations of the congress was a recommendation of the adoption of a uniform system of exchanging the literary and scientific publications of all nations. This recommendation was reported to your predecessor in office, the Hon. Hamilton Fish, who. requested that the Smithsonian Institution would act as the intermediary of the United States in carrying into effect the proposed system as embodied in the recommendation of the Paris Congress, as above referred to. Under date of January 10, 1879, the Smithsonian Institution received the following communication from the Department of State in reference to the proposed international exchange system: "You are already aware of the desire of this department to secure to the Smithsonian Institution the fullest liberty of action and the utmost enhancement of its utility without entailing any additional burden on its resources." You are of course informed that a number of other governments rep resented at the congress of Paris have seconded the recommendation in question, and have already adopted special means, by establishing bureaus of international exchange, to carry its provisions into effect.. Among these governments are France, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Russia, and Italy. Recognizing the enlightened action of the Paris congress in recommending a system of interchange of scientific and literary thought be tween the different peoples of the world, and acting in accordance with the expressed wish of the Department of State, the Smithsonian Insti H. Ex. 172—3 tution at once set about the inauguration of the proposed system on behalf of the Government of the United States. It was originally presumed that by interlacing with the regular established systems of exchanges of the Institution so successfully conducted for more than a quarter of a century, the international system could be carried on at a very little outlay in addition to that required for the Smithsonian system. But this presumption did not prove to be a fact, the Institution finding, after two years' trial, that the expense attendant upon the execution of the request of the Department of State is far greater than was anticipated. The Smithsonian Institution is therefore compelled to ask that an ap propriation of $7,000 be requested of Congress by the Department of State, for the purpose of carrying into effect the recommendation of the Paris congress on a scale in keeping with the high position of the United States among civilized nations and commensurate with the reputation of the government for enlightened liberality in connection with the cause of general education. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, SPENCER F. BAIRD, Secretary Smithsonian Institution. Hon. WILLIAM M. EVARTS, Secretary of State. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23d instant, in relation to the expense of the work of conducting the exchange of the literary and scientific publications of all nations, recommended by the international geographical congress held at Paris in the summer of 1875, which work, at the instance of this Department, the Smithsonian Institution undertook to carry on on behalf of the United States. You state, furthermore, that it was originally presumed that exchanges in question could be carried on in connection with the system already established, but that practically the additional work has been found to greatly increase the expense of conducting the exchanges, and that, therefore, the Smithsonian Institution is compelled to ask that an appropriation of $7,000 be requested of Congress to defray the expenses of the exchanges recommended by the Paris congress, and undertaken on behalf of the United States by the Smithsonian Institution at the instance of this Department. In reply I have to say that, fully appreciating the importance of maintaining and extending this system of literary and scientific exchanges which has been so happily inaugurated, it will afford me much pleasure to ask the proper committees of Congress to favorably consider your request for an appropriation of $7,000 for the purpose indicated in your letter. I am, sir, your obedient servant, Prof. SPENCER F. BAIRD, W. M. EVARTS. Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith, for the information and consideration of your committee, a copy of a letter dated the 23d of October last, from Prof. Spencer F. Baird, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution to this Department in relation to the expenses which have been imposed upon that institution by its having undertaken, at the instance of my predecessor, the Hon. Hamilton Fish, to carry out on behalf of this government the system of exchanging the literary and scientific publications of all nations which was adopted at an international conference held at Paris in the summer of 1875, at which this country was represented. It now appears from the statements made in Professor Baird's letter that the expense of carrying out the exchanges in question is far greater than was anticipated, whereby an undue burden has been imposed upon the resources of the Smithsonian Institution; and Professor Baird therefore asks that an appropriation of $7,000 may be made for the purpose of carrying out the recommendations of the Paris congress of 1875. I may add that it is understood by this Department that the exchanges of literary and scientific publications in question are now carried on at the expense of the several governments which were parties to the congress of 1875, except in the case of this government, which has imposed this important and useful work upon the Smithsonian Institution. In view, therefore, of the reasons set forth by Professor Baird in a communication transmitted herewith, and in view of the great benefits which the government, institutions of learning, public libraries, and men of science are receiving from the system of the exchange of literary and scientific publications inagurated by the congress of 1875 at Paris, I beg to recommend that the appropriation asked for, as above indicated, may be made. I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, Hon. HENRY G. DAVIS, WM. M. EVARTS. Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, Senate. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 27, 1881. SIR Referring to the reply of this Department, of the 30th of October last, to your letter of the 23d of that mouth, in relation to the exchange of government and scientific publications with foreign countries, and referring also to the letter of this Department to the Senate Committee on Appropriations, dated the 31st of January last, on the same subject, I now beg to request you to furnish this Department with your views in relation to this matter, in form of a memorandum, to serve as the basis of a communication to Congress urging the appropriation of an amount sufficient to defray the expenses of international exchanges, and of so organizing the work that it shall be done by the Smithsonian Institution, but under the Department of State, and with its official co-operation. This arrangement seems to be desirable in order that the American bureau of exchanges may be on the same footing as those in Europe, where this business is conducted under the supervision of the foreign officers of the various countries which have entered into the international agreement in relation to exchanges. I may add that, owing to the want of sufficient funds to enable the Smithsonian Institution to carry out fully the system of exchanges, a large amount of labor and expense has been imposed upon this Depart ment in sending to various countries of Europe the publications of this government. The calls upon this Department to perform services of this character are growing more and more numerous and more and more burdensome continually. I am, sir, your obedient servant, Prof. SPENCER F. BAIRD, J. C. BANCROFT DAVIS, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. |