New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-12-13
THE SMITHSONIAN LECTURES.
&c ofTbe NY. Tribune.

Correspondence Of The n. Y. Tribune.
WASHINGTON, Saturday. Dec. 10, 1858.
The Lecture season has now fairly commenced, ana as
The lectures delivered in this city are generally free,
and are given in the Smithsonian Institution the lee
ture room is almost always crowded whatever may be
the subject or whoevermay be the lecturer
The Smithsonian Institution has for several years
Mstproyided course of lectures for the people and
this wear their ARRANGEMENTS are more extensive than
usual The first lecture was delivered ON MONDAY
evening by BENJAMIN HaOwel, Of Alexandra, prlnci-
pal of large aud well known boardlngschool Tor boys
Heis Quaker, and man of extensive knowledge ana
scientific requirements and Is cXtreme! popular "ncl
ever be is known. Though he lectured on Astronomy
the house was filled TO overlooking an hour before nc
commenced His subject was the general principles
dAstronomy, with the movements and consequent pae-
nomena of the bodies of the Solar System Nj HALO
well will deliver two more lectures on the following
subjects: e,
Second Lecture The Sun, Neptune, the Asteroids
and Comets.
Third Leetare-Fixed Stars Nebul@ ami Stellar
Systems
These lectures are illustrated by an orrery' maps
globes, &c. go
On Friday evening DIR. j. Lawrence Smith VIII
commence an extended course on Chemistry fully
illustrating every lecture with experiments for which
the elegant and extensive apparatus belonging 10 the
Institution furnishes ample means.
Last evening Prof Henry, Secretary of the lnstitu-
ion delivered lecture, at the request of the Metro
pOtan Mechanics Institute of which he is also PreSl
dent lie answered three questions; lst-N no was
James Smthsoni 2d-What was his Bequest 81 -
What plan was adopted to carry out the WILL and what
has been It's fruit thus far
canot attempt to give report of the Professors
speech, which was nearly two hours in length lie
showed very clearly that Smthson left his money not
to provide splendid building TO ornament the CITY oil
Washington even 10 establish great library or a
museum but was 20 increase and diiiuse knowledge
among 7acn IL unlimited in it's far as the
selection of subjects, and unresraned in its diffusion
Tie whole sum originally left by SmithsOn was
S5l5,l69 and the interest accrued sap 900, up TO
The tire The institution was organized. The present
condition of the fgnds is follows the original deposited
in the Treasury of the United States which can never
be diminished 10000 of interest, which has been
added to the principal after the building is entirely nm
ished and al the operations thus far carried paid for
The plan of the institution has been 70 promote
knowledge and to increase it by the publication OF on
gnal memoirs by giving assistance to those who were
engaged in particular Investigations and had not the
means to publish their results in examining all fecl-
mems collected by exploring expeditions, and by pro-
uding system and means of printing universal
catalogue Of AL the libraries of the country. IL DIFF
fuses knowledge by presenting copies of It's pubca-
lions 10 every college in the United States and 10 eve
~ frsteass and welestabshed library in the world.
Separate memoirs also more widely distributed,
and as liberal disposition is made OF them as the in
come will allow
edge Of science and with all his requirements he pos
sessed conviction II the superiority and permanence
OF our Institutions TO those of royalty in Europe De-
srOus Of making name for himself either Immediately
by bis own researches or by founding an Institution
he made the following declaration, which Is written
several times with slight variations on different scraps
Of paper found with his personal effects;
Iht best blood Of England a0ws in my veins; on M
fathers side am Northumberland my mothers,
an Related TO hing, hui his avas not my name shan