The Washington times., 1894-04-23
OUR AMERICAN IMM0RTALS
COterie Is Proposed Of This Coun-
try's Great Intellectual Lights.
TO BE TWENTY-FIVE IN NUMBER
Provisions for the Formation Of an American
Academy on the French Plan as Contained
in the Bills Of General Lew Wallace and
Librarian spofford.

A plea for the creation of an elect body of
twenty-five persons, distinguished in litera-
ture, science, the fire arts, and invention, has
been submitted to the House by Representa-
tive Black, of Chicago. The plan is embodied
in two bills on somewhat similar lines The
first was drawn by Gen. Lew Wallace, the
author, and the other by the Librarian of
Congress, Spofrord.
They provide for the appointment of COM
mittees of three from the Senate and House,
who shall make the selection of five members
to form the nucleus Of the organization.
These five shall be "citizens Of the United
States, of culture, and distinguished in
literature. science. the fine arts, and inven-
tions" These five shall elect twenty other
persons eminently distinguished in literature,
arts, etc.
The twenty-five elect are to constitute
continuous body. They are given the power
to establish name for the body and to I'LL
vacancies by electing new members SO that
the quota of twenty-five shall be preserved.
Section two of the bill provides that the
Librarian of Congress shall set aside cham
Der in the new Congressional Library for the
use of the body, with suitable attendance,
pages, light and the use of all books and ma
terials in the possession OF the library.
Prof. Spofford's bill also adds provision
that the body shall furnish reports to Con-
gress on memorials concerning language or
literature, which may be submitted to Con-
gress from time to time. The purpose of the
bills is to create an organization in this coun-
try similar to the ''immortals" Of France and
tn rha NJ nj aI..rnt of ffafr
Germany and other countries.
Prot. SpoEord has prepared an interesting
statement showing the desirability Of such an
organization in this country.
The origin of the word academy he shows
to have been derived from the Greek .'Akad-
emia." suburb OF Athens. where, amid walks
and groves, "a school Of philosophers. of whom
Plato was the chief, lived and taught four
hundred years before Christ. He then traces
the history OF the French academy through
its stages, and says that at the restoration of
monarchy, and again in 1888, the ''Institut de
France was reconstructed its present organ
Ization embracing five academies.
Each OF the five academies, Librarian Spof-
ford SAYS. has its own organization and work;
their expenses are betrayed by an annual
appropriation made by the Freuch Chambers.
besides which each member received a yearly
allowance of 200 francs from the national
treasury. The five academies consist OF forty
which has sixty-three members.
Each of the nations of Europe has one or
more academies for intellectual research,
the Royal Academy Sciences of Berlin, the
Bavarian Academy OF Sciences at Munich, the
Imperial Academy of Sciences at ST. Peters,
burg. the Academy Of Sciences at Madrid, the
Royal Academy at Belgium, the Royal
Academy OF Sciences at Turin, etc.
In Great Britain the Royal Society is the
Oldest of the associations known as aeade-
mics in continental Europe. founded in 1864,
it has published nearly 200 quarto volumes.
1t has promoted original discovery, and has
been the adviser OF the government on scien-
tifc subjects.
The Royal Society has about $50, and 10
new members are elected annually. The an
nual due is so from each member, with an
admission fee of $50.
In the United States, among several hum
dred associations devoted to science, litera-
ture. history, genealogy. etc., Librarian Spof-
ford says there are four only chartered by the
government.
The report refers to the excellent work of
the Smithsonian institution and states it has
become the most widely useful organization
for the increase and diffusion OF knowledge
of any similar institution in this country, If
not in the world.
The plan for a new organization devoted to
science. literature, and art. as outlined in the
proposed bill. is not formally a creation Of an
academy dedicated to those objects. 1t Is
rather an endeavor TO secure In connection
with the erected library building certain
specific privileges to limited body of men of
learning within its walls.