The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-05-12
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.
-, snno.l Report oS the Secretary OF the Smith
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=, ,hs;r Iast ANIMAL meeting was charged with the
ru,on of The details Of the programme, which had been
professionally adopted and directed to report annually
Ia Inc no, ri the progress made in the execution OF the
nv assigned TO me In accordance with this resolution
present The following statement OF The operations oil The
The programme OF the plan OF organization of The in
st,ution has been submitted nsmber OF literary and
scientific societies. and in every case las received ihe
unqualified appreciation The principal officers OF these
societies have expressed willingness to cooperate with
the Smithsonian Institution IN carrying out the plans
which have been adopted and IS confidently oeieyea
that these fully developed and brought INTO
practical operation they will meet with general apPioval
1t was recommended IN my last report that me
details OF the plan should be adopted PROFESSIONALLY;
and should be carried into operation gradually and
cautiously. with such changes IRON time to time as
ex perence mixhtdc.ae The institution Is not one OF
day bur is designed endure as long as our govern
ment shall exist and is therefore peculiarly important
that in the beginning should proceed carefully and not
attempt 10 produce nmedale effects al the expense OF
permanent usefulness. The process OF increasing knowl
edge extremely slow one, and the value of the re.
suits of this part OF the plan cannot be properly realized
unt some years have elapsed independently of these
considerations the financial arrangements adopted by he
Board OF Regents such as to prevent the full opera
lion OF the institution until after three years from
March; up to that time more than one half OF the in
come is be devoted to the erection OF the building and
indirectly TO the increase of the permanent fund
1t will be recollected that the programme embraces
LIST The plan of publishing original memoirs all
branches OF knowledge, in series of quaro volumes
81 The institution original researches under the d.
Teclion Of competent persons.
year. giving account OF the progress OF the different
branches OF knowledge.
18th. The fOrmatsn oil library and a museum of OBJ
iects of nature and art.
Publication of original memoirs.
The first volume OF the Smithsonian Contributions to
knowledge has been published and partially distributed
1t consists of single memoir the ancient monuments
OF the Mississippi valley comprising the results of exten
A. NJ, and f. ii Davis M B. It's illustrated by forty
eight photographic plates and BY two hundred and seven
he M laYo lion f vOl-
will bear comparison with that OF any publication
ever issued from the American press.
In the publication OF the first volume OF the Conrbn-
tons the question occurred az TO the ropey OF securing
The copyright to the institution had not opportunity
of comforting with the Executive Committee on this point,
and was therefore obliged TO settle it my respon.
sibiIity concluded that it would be accordance
with the spirit OF the institution to decide against the
copyright, The knowledge which the Smithsonian In
slituon may be instrumental in presenting to the world
should be free TO all who capable of using it, The
republication OF our papers ought to be considered as
evidence of their importance, and should be encouraged
rather than prohibited.
The first memoir occupies entire volume, and this
accidental circumstance has given rise to msconcep-
OF The plan. Ii has been supposed that each volume
Of the Smithsonian Contributions is in like manner 10
consist OF separate treatise on particular subject
ec,ed with view to popular interest. But such is not
the case each volume will generally contain number
of separate memoirs, different branches of knowledge
Al nilar the usual published transactions of learned
cieties The only why the first volume is occu
pied with a sab,ecl of general interest rather than
more absrue branch OF science is that the memoir
it contains the first which presented OF the char
prescribed by the plan No preference be given
any branch OF knowledge. The only questions 10 be
asked, considering the acceptance memoir, are,
whether it is positive addition TO acknowledge, resting
original research, and OF sufficient importance to merit
place in the Smithsonian Contributions.
The rules adopted for the acceptance of memoir are
the those generally followed by learned societies
The memoir is surrendered by the author to the nsu-
ton, and no additions alterations allowed To be
made after il has been submitted to the commission ap
pointed examine it, unless by their consent A GER
TAI m auth for
trbuon, with the privilege OF striking oft, al his
expense, additional copies for sale; which in cases.
particularly when the memoir is OF popular interest, will
be all the remuneration expected by the author.
FROM what has been said ii will be evident that the
papers published in the Contributions generally
he OF popular nature. The popular effects to be pro-
duced by the institution principally those which may
he attained by the reports The progress OF the different
branches OF knowledge. and by the occasional pubica
tons in connexlon with these oil separate reatises
subject OF special interest
Applications have been made for the first volume of
the Contributions iron many academies and private nsli
tuhons, ana were our means suIlcieat we would be
pleased 10 supply all demands of this kind. But this is
obviously impossible, for they alone would exhaust all
the income of the institution
Preparations have been made for the publication of the
second volume OF the Contributions; and sufficient mum.
Der of memoirs have been already accepted, in
preparation, 10 furnish the materials Five OF these are
astronomical Subjects and afford important adj.
tons 10 this science have been made it in this
country. Two OF them relate to nves,ig aons the
new planet Neptune, which only second in value
Inc original discovery OF this distant member of
TEN Abstracts OF these have been given TO the world
and have been received with general appreciation third
IL determination OF the zodiac of the asteroids, or the
in the heavens to which the positions of these small
planets confined. This paper is of much practical i'm
por'ance in facilitating the researches progress in
different parts OF the world relative the nature OF these
fragments Gas they would TO beg OF large planet
between Jupiter and Mars may be at once determined
By inspection OF the table annexed thus paper
whether any star mapped IN old catalogue, and now
no longer 10 be found the place, possibly be
one OF the asteroids fourth paper account of
new comet, the discovery OF which by an American lady
IS one OF the first additions science Of this kind, 80 far
"a am informed, made in this country The fifth
memoir account OF the Geogetow Observatory the
instruments with which il is furnished the mode OF using
them which has been adopted, and the result. of the Or
servations which have been made An important paper
IS also process OF preparation for the volume on
the gigantic fossil ceiacean which found in
the southern and western States of the Union
Other papers in progress which parake of the
character OF original researches, since they part at
least prepared at the expense and under the direction of
the Smithsonian institution. They will be mentioned
under the head
In few cases, memoirs have been presented which,
though exhibiting research and considerable originality,
are not OF character to warrant their adoption parts
OF our volumes OF Contributions positive knowledge
The rule given in the programme has been rigdly adj
hered to, WIS TO decline accepting any paper physical
science which consists merely of nverhed hypothe
AIS, however ingenious and plausible such an hypothesis
may bo law of nature is not susceptible of logical
hat - k.