SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION (ante), at Washington, D.C., founded on the bequest of James Smithson, an Englishman to the government of the United States for the purpose of creating an.establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among mankind. The amount at first received, $515,000, was subsequently increased by the residuary estate to $541,000, which was deposited in the treasury as a perpetual loan, the interest to be employed forever in promoting the object of the testator. By the plan adopted, the accumulations of interest were first employed in erecting a com modious and secure building of imposing architecture as the home of the institution. The board of regents is composed of the chief-justice of the supreme court; three sena tors, appointed by the vice-president; three representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house; and six citizens, appointed by joint resolution of congress, two of whom must be residents of the district of Columbia, and no two can be of any one state. The regents choose one of their number as chancellor, and appoint a secretary who is director of the institution, chooses his own assistants, and conducts the active operations. Besides the regents, the president and vice-president of the United States, the cabinet officers/ and such persons as they may elect honorary members, constitute the "establishment" styled the " Smithsonian institution." When the trust was accepted widely different ideas were entertained in congress and by distinguished men throughout the country concerning the methods by which the object of the testator could be best attained. One proposed a universitrof the highest possible grade; another an observatory to surpass all others on the globe; another the cultivation of seeds and plants for distribution, with printing-presses, and courses of lectures on physical and moral science, government. and public law; a third, an institution for experiment and research in physical science, cege cially pertaining to useful arts and the development of the natural resources of the coun try; and a fourth, an establishment fur searing sheep, horses, and silk-worms, with a great library attached. The first secretary, the eminent Joseph Henry, at the time of his :.pp.;intment professor in Princeton college, in entering on his office, drew up for the regents a scheme for the operation of the institution which they cordially adopted and have since maintained. Its leading principles are that as the testator's design was to increase and diffuse knowledge among mankind, the institution should spend its labor and resources on no object merely local, or even national; and shobld not devote its energies to anything which could be done as well by any existing organization. In accordance with these principles, in the progress of the institution, its library has been incorporated with the library of congress; its gallery of art transferred to the Corcoran art gallery; its meteorological observations to the U. S. signal service, of which they were taken as the foundation; its herbarium and entomological collections to the U. S. department of agriculture; and the national museum, deposited by law in the Smith sonian building, from the hegianing was partly, and is now entirely, supported by tho government. Having originated, developed, and finally transferred these branches of scientific pursuit, the institution devotes its energies and means: I. To the INCREASE of human knowledge. To promote this object it issues three series of publications: 1. con
tri5utions to knowledge. These arc memoirs pertaining to every branch of physical sci ence, and contain positive additions to knowledge, based on original research, but excluding everything resting on an unverified hypothesis. 2. Miscellaneous collections, consisting of monographs designed to facilitate the study of natural history. Papers presented for publication in either the first or second series are submitted to competent committees for examination, first, as to their being real additions to the existing knowl edge of the subjects to which they pertain; second, whether as such they are worthy of publication by the institution. No restriction is made in farm' of any particular br4nch of knowledge. The design is to stimulate men who have talents fcr original investiga tion to make researches, by offering to publish to the world an account of their discov eries, and to aid them in defraying the necessary expenses. Bey(md this, apart from presenting to the author a few copies of his contribution, no remuneration is made; the publication under such favorable auspices, combined with the association of the author's name with Smithson's, being considered and accepted as a sufficient honorarium. 3. Annual reports, containing a statement to congress of the operations of the institution; with an appendix of translations from foreign books, biographies of distinguished sci entists, ethnological and meteorological essays, correspondence, and accounts of unusual phenomena. 11. The tnFFustox of knowledge is specially promoted by a system, early commenced and sedulously prosecuted, for the interchange of American and foreign scien tific thought and achievement. This system has now attained great proportions. It brings nations, societies, and individuals into close communion. Through it the publications of the national g.wernment, as well as those of the institution, are exchanged. It is now familiarly known as the Smithsonian system of international exchanges, and is the medium for the exchange of scientific and literary materials between the United Staten and other nations. By means of it thousands of works, embracing the details of the latest inventions and discoveries, are brought to America; while, in turn, a is diffused abroad of whatever is done in the United States to advance, by the increase of knowledge, the welfare of men. There are now about 2,200 foreign societies in cor respondence with the institution, besides many individuals, all freely sharing the bene fits of the arrangement. The packages of exchanges are by the principal transportation companies of Christendom either without charge or at reduced rates, and are passed through all custom-houses free of duty. The actual expense of ocean transportation is borne by the institution.
In 1879 an appropriation was made by congress of $250,000 for the erection, on the Smithsonian grounds, of a building for the national museum, which is under the charge of the institution, but has outgrown the accommodations possible in its one edifice; and of $53,500 for several departments of the general work. The Smithsonian fund, at inter est in the U. S. treasury, amounted, Jan. 2, 1880, to $703,894. The distinguished services of prof. Henry, as the first secretary and director. extended from 1846 to his death in 1878; after which prof. Spencer F. Baird, who from 1850 had been his chosen assistant, was elected his successor, and now holdg the position.