JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF

THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.

WASHINGTON, December 8, 1880.

A meeting of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution was held this day at 10.30 o'clock in the Regents' room of the Institution. Present: The Chancellor, Chief Justice Waite; Hon. W. A. Wheeler, Vice-President of the United States; Hon. H. Hamlin, Hon. R. E. Withers, Hon. N. Booth, Hon. H. Clymer, Hon. Joseph E. Johnston, Hon. Peter Parker, General William T. Sherman, Prof. H. Coppée, and Professor Baird, Secretary.

The Chancellor stated that this was a special meeting of the Board called at the request of the Executive Committee. A report of this committee was presented by the chairman, Dr. Parker.

After a full discussion of the subjects presented in the report, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted.

(In reference to the statue of Professor Henry.)

Resolved, That the Chancellor and Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution execute a contract with Mr. W. W. Story, of Rome, for the statue in bronze of the late Prof. Joseph Henry, authorized by the act of Congress of June, 1, 1880, with the provisions for payment of the sum of $3,750 to Mr. Story on completion of his design for the statue; the sum of $3,750 on completion of the model in clay; the sum of $3,750 on completion of the statue in bronze; and the sum of $3,750 on deliv ery and erection of the statue with its pedestal in the city of Washington, on the site to be selected by the Executive Committee; and furthermore that Mr. Story shall cause the said statue to be insured for the amount of the advance payments to him against perils by land or by sea, which insurance shall, in case of loss, be paid to the Smithsonian Institution, for the benefit of the United States.

(In reference to the new Museum building.)

Resolved, That for the purpose of substituting a marble or tile flooring instead of concrete as originally designed for the large halls in the National Museum, an appropriation of $25,000 be requested of Congress, to be expended according to the plans and under the direction of the Building Commission of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, under whose supervision the Museum has been constructed. (In reference to the use of the new Museum for the inaugural reception.)

Whereas the new Museum building is unfinished and not ready for occupancy for the government collections, and such a contingency will

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not again occur, and that no precedent is to be given for the use of the building for other purposes:

Resolved, That the use of the new National Museum building be granted for the inaugural reception of the President of the United States, on the 4th of March, 1881, and that the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution be authorized to make all necessary arrangements for this purpose.

The Board then adjourned, at 12:30 P. M.

WASHINGTON, January 19, 1881.

In accordance with a resolution of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution fixing the time of the beginning of the annual session on the third Wednesday in January of each year, the Board met to-day at 10:30 o'clock, A. M.

Present: The Chancellor, Chief Justice M. R. Waite; the Vice-Presi dent of the United States, Hon. W. A. Wheeler; Hon. R. E. Withers, Hon. H. Clymer, General W. T. Sherman, Hon. Peter Parker, Rev. Dr. John Maclean, Dr. Henry Coppée, Dr. Noah Porter, and the Secretary, Professor Baird.

Excuses for absence on account of sickness were received from Hon. Hannibal Hamlin and Hon. Newton Booth. The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. The Secretary presented a statement of the finances of the Institution.

Dr. Parker, Chairman of the Executive Committee, presented the annual report of the Committee, which was read.

On motion of Dr. Porter the following resolutions were adopted: Resolved, That the report of the Executive Committee for 1880 be accepted.

Resolved, That the income for the year 1881 be appropriated for the service of the Institution upon the basis of the above report, to be expended by the Secretary with full discretion as to the items, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.

General Sherman, Chairman of the National Museum Building Commission, presented a report of the operations of the Commission and of the Architects for the year 1880, which were read, and, on motion of Mr. Clymer, accepted.

The Secretary stated that he had been informed by the American Consul at Genoa, Italy, that the corner-posts of the railing around the tomb of James Smithson required resetting and the fence straightening, and he asked authority to have this done.

On motion of General Sherman it was

Resolved, That suitable measures be taken by the Secretary for the repair and preservation of the tomb of Smithson and its inclosure.

The Secretary presented his annual report of the operations, expendi tures, and condition of the Institution for the year 1880, which was read in part.

On motion of General Sherman it was

Resolved, That the annual report of the Secretary be accepted and transmitted to Congress.

Dr. Coppée offered the following resolution, which was adopted.

Resolved, That the thanks of the Board of Regents are due and are hereby presented to Mr. William J. Rhees, the Chief Clerk of the Institution, for the excellent, accurate, and interesting manner in which, under the direction of the Secretary, he has collated and edited the volumes entitled, respectively.

1. "The Smithsonian Institution; documents relative to its origin and history."

2. "Journals of the Board of Regents, reports of Committees, Statistics, &c."

3. "The Scientific Writings of James Smithson."

4. "James Smithson and his bequest."

Hon. Mr. Withers made a statement, by request, in regard to the Virginia securities, and on motion of Mr. Clymer it was

Resolved, That the Executive Committee may at their discretion dispose of the Virginia securities owned by the Institution, to wit: 58 consolidated bonds, Nos. 11521 to 11578, inclusive, for $1,000 each; 1 consolidated bond, No. 1380, for $500; 2 consolidated bonds, Nos. 4191 and 4192, for $100 each; 1 deferred certificate, No. 4543, dated July 1, 1871, for $29,375.07, and 1 fractional certificate, No. 2969, dated July 1, 1871, for $50.13, and deposit the proceeds in the Treasury of the United States as a part of the permanent fund, as authorized by the act of Congress of February 8, 1867.

Resolved, That Spencer F. Baird, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, be, and he is hereby, authorized, in person or by attorney, to transfer to any person or persons the certificates of debt of the State of Virginia now standing in the name of the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, to wit: Deferred certificate, No. 4543, dated July 1, 1871, for $29,375.07, and fractional certificate, No. 2969, dated July 1, 1871, for $50.13.

The Secretary stated that several applications had been received for the use of the new Museum after the inauguration of the President on the 4th of March next, which had been referred to the Executive Committee.

The point of order was raised that the applications could not be entertained, the Board having already decided that the use of the building was to be granted only for the inaugural reception of President Garfield.

The point of order was sustained by the Chancellor.

The Board adjourned at 12:30 P. M., sine die.

REPORT OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM BUILDING COMMISSION

FOR 1880.

WASHINGTON, D. C., January 15, 1881.

To the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution:

GENTLEMEN: At your annual meeting on the 19th of last January, the National Museum Building Commission submitted a report of operations in connection with the new building for the National Museum, from their inception to the close of 1879.

In that report attention was called to the necessity for increased accommodations for the national collections in charge of the Smithsonian Institution; to the endeavors of your Board in previous years to obtain from Congress an appropriation for the same, and to their final success in 1879 in securing an appropriation of $250,000 for the purpose.

Mention was also made that the Executive Committee of the Board of Regents and the Secretary of the Institution, who are charged by resolution of the Board of January 17, 1879, with the duty of " carrying into effect the provisions of any act of Congress that might (may) be passed providing for the erection of a building for the National Museum," had organized under the title of "National Museum Building Commission." Also, you were informed of the action of the Commission in early adopting such measures as appeared to it best calculated to realize with. the least possible delay the intention of Congress in making provision for a new building; of the employment of Messrs. Cluss & Schulze as superintending architects; of the acceptance by General Meigs of the invitation of the Commission to act as its consulting engineer; and of the opinions of Mr. Edward Clark, Architect of the Capitol, and General Meigs as to the sufficiency of the appropriation for the erection of a building in accordance with the plans approved by Congress. Reference was also made to the action of the Secretary of the Treasury in detailing an officer of the Treasury Department to disburse the appropriation, by which action the fund was made immediately available. In addition, a resumé was presented of the active operations in the construction of the building whereby you were made aware that ground was broken on the 17th of April, 1879; that the concrete foundations were begun April 29; that the brick work of the walls was commenced May 21, and that the walls were completed on the 1st day of November.

Moreover, mention was made of the good fortune of the Commission in securing exceedingly favorable contracts, especially for the brick and iron work, previous to the early subsequent rapid advance in the prices

of iron and other building materials; of the fact that the cost of the heating apparatus was not included in the estimate of $250,000, and that therefore an appropriation of $25,000 for this item had been asked of Congress; and, finally, of the then pending efforts of the Commission to settle the question of material for the cases, whether this should be wood or iron.

Besides information upon the points above specified, an appended report of the architects presented an interesting technical and descriptive record of the plan and design of the building and a detailed exhibit of the expenditures on account of construction to the close of the year 1879. In the present report, therefore, it is only necessary for the Commission to review the operations of the year just ended.

The iron work of the roofs was satisfactorily completed by the latter part of March, and the tin work and slating early in April.

The plastering, which was done partly by day's work and partly under contract, was begun early in March and finished by the latter part of July. The plaster of the slate roofs is laid directly on the slate, and that of the low, flat roofs on gratings fastened between the iron girders of the roof and rendered fire-proof by a filling of mortar composed of plaster of Paris and ashes-a form of ceiling suggested by General Meigs.

The painting and glazing has been satisfactorily done. In the interest of economy in heating, it was decided to put both an inner and an outer glass in the sash of all outside windows.

The supply-pipes for water and gas were laid by the close of February and the work duly inspected and approved.

The wood floors have all been put down, excepting in the four square halls. In the four main halls, or naves, and in the rotunda of the dome it was originally intended to lay concrete, but owing to urgent remonstrances against the use of this material as not being in keeping with the architectural beauty and design of the building, Congress has been asked for an appropriation of $25,000 to defray the expense of a marble or tile floor for these halls. The request for this appropriation was in accordance with a resolution of the Board of Regents of December 9th, 1880.

The heating apparatus is also in, and, with the exception of bronzing a number of the radiators, Messrs. Baker, Smith & Co. have completed their contract for this work. During the recent severe weather the apparatus was subjected to a test more severe than will be likely to occur again for a number of years, and it is a matter of congratulation to the Commission, as well as to the contractors, that the work gives entire satisfaction.

A most economical arrangement connected with this heating apparatus is that of two automatic traps whereby the condensed steam is again brought to the boilers. While by this arrangement both time and fuel for heating fresh water are saved, the fear of a lack of supply of