Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That there be printed of "The Smithsonian Institution: Documents Relative to its Origin and History," 7,000 copies, of which 1,500 copies shall be for the use of the Senate, 3,000 copies for the use of the House of Representatives, and 2,500 copies for the use of the Smithsonian Institution. Passed the Senate April 26, 1900. Passed the House May 11, 1900. (Stat., XXXI, concurrent resolutions, p. 10.) II ADVERTISEMENT. The Smithsonian Institution is an establishment based upon the private foundation of James Smithson, a British subject, which was accepted by the United States in trust. This establishment was created. by an act of Congress, under which act, with one or two unimportant modifications, it has since been governed. The United States Government has, from time to time, assigned to it important functions, and Congress has passed laws and made appropriations in support of these. While, therefore, it is a private foundation, of which the Government is trustee, it has in itself an extensive legislative history. The Board of Regents in January, 1878, requested the Secretary to prepare and publish a history of the origin and progress of the institution, and, in accordance with this, a volume was published in 1879 under the title "The Smithsonian Institution: Documents Relative to its Origin and History," in which were contained the will of James Smithson, the proceedings in Congress relative to the acceptance of the bequest, the organization of the Institution, and various matters relative to its operations from 1835 to 1877. A second volume relating to the history of the Institution was published in 1879, under the title "The Smithsonian Institution: Journals of the Board of Regents, Reports of Committees, Statistics, etc.," edited by William J. Rhees. At the conclusion of the first half century of the Institution, in 1896, a volume was published under the editorial supervision of the late Dr. G. Brown Goode, giving an account of the history, achievements, and present condition of the Institution, prepared by the Secretary and members of the staff of the Institution, to which were added chapters in appreciation of the work of the Institution in the several branches of knowledge. The present volume has been undertaken to bring down to date the first historical volume mentioned, namely, the relations of the Institution to Congress, debates on its management, appropriations necessary for operations intrusted to its care, etc., which can be found only in the volumes of the Congressional Globe and Congressional Record, the journals of the Senate and House, and the Statutes at Large. The compilation and editing of the present work has been performed under my direction by Mr. William J. Rhees, the keeper of archives, and for many years chief clerk of the Institution. S. P. LANGLEY, Secretary, Smithsonian Institution. |