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Shipments made by the Smithsonian Institution under the system of foreign exchanges, 1850) to 1881.

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The system of domestic exchanges embraces not only the distribution of Smithsonian and other American contributions to knowledge throughout our country, but that of the publications received from foreign countries as well, intended for societies and individuals here. By the liberal courtesy of many well-established houses in the book business in different parts of the country, these domestic transmissions were ef fected with a very satisfactory dispatch and fidelity. The gentlemen to whom the Institution was mainly indebted in 1851 and immediately following years for this valuable service were Messrs. J. P. Jewett & Co., of Boston; George P. Putnam, of New York; Lippincott, Grambo & Co., of Philadelphia; John Russell, of Charleston; and H. W. Derby, of Cincinnati. To these names should be added in 1852 and following years those of Messrs. Jewett, Proctor, and Worthington, of Cleveland; Dr. George Englemann and John Halsall, of Saint Louis; and B. M. Norman, of New Orleans. As an incidental but striking illustration of the interest awakened in the international exchange at that early day, may be mentioned, among the numerous literary gifts to the Institution, a rare and curious collection of manuscripts of very varied character, sufficiently described in the following letter of presentation:

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SIR: I have the pleasure of offering for your acceptance for the use of the Smithsonian Institution a collection of documents formed for the purpose of illustrating the history of prices between the years 1650 and 1750. The collection, regarded as a collection, is, I believe, unique in its kind, although many manuscripts of the same description are to be found dispersed amongst the vast stores of the British Museum and other libraries in this country. It consists of about seven thousand original papers bound in fifty-four volumes, including bills, accounts, and inventories, respecting commercial and domestic articles of nearly every description.

It will afford me great pleasure if the allocation of these papers at Washington prove of use at any time to the literary inquiries of your great nation. Without incur ring the imputation of falling into the ordinary error made by collectors in attaching a fictitious value to relics which have necessarily required the expenditure of consid

erable time and exertion to bring together, it may, perhaps, be allowed me to entertain a hope that these fragments of an earlier age, now confided to your care, may be hereafter regarded of importance in the list of materials which will some day assist in producing a history of social progress.

Mr. Henry Stevens, F. S. A., the agent to the Smithsonian Institution in England, has kindly undertaken to forward the collection to you on an early opportunity.

I feel sure you will excuse the liberty I am taking in addressing you on this subject; and I have the honor to be, sir,

Your obedient faithful servant,

Prof. JOSEPH HENRY.

J. O. HALLIWELL.

The history and condition of domestic exchanges, from their commencement to the present time, are exhibited in the following table:

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Although Congress, by act of July 20, 1840, authorized the printing and binding of fifty copies of all volumes published by the two houses, which volumes were to be reserved for the purpose of exchange with foreign powers, yet from the omission to provide for the extra printing, or from other cause, this liberal arrangement failed to go into operation.

An act of March 4, 1846, directed the Librarian of Congress to procure a complete series of reports of the United States courts and of the laws of the United States, and transmit them to the Minister of Justice of France, in Exchange for works of French law presented to the United States Supreme Court.

June 26, 1848, the Joint Committee on the Library was authorized to appoint agents for exchange of books and public documents. All books transmitted through these agents of exchange, for use of the United States, for any single State, or for the Acadenly at West Point, or the National Institute, to be admitted free.

A resolution of June 30, 1848, ordered that the Joint Committee on the Library be furnished with twenty-five copies of the Revolutionary Archives, twenty-five copies of Little & Brown's edition of the Laws of the United States, seven copies of the Ex

ploring Expedition then published, and an equal number of subsequent publications on the same subject, for the purpose of international exchange.

A joint resolution of March 2, 1849, directed that two copies of certain volumes of the Exploring Expedition be sent to the government of Russia, in lieu of those which were lost at sea on their passage to that country. The Secretary of State was also directed to present a copy of the Exploring Expedition, as soon as completed, to the government of Ecuador.

By the act of August 31, 1852, the act of 1848 regulating exchanges was repealed. In 1852 the Smithsonian Institution urged that Congress should make some systematic and permanent arrangement for distributing complete series of its works to European libraries, to at least thirty of which they might be judiciously supplied. It was also suggested that particular works of scientific interest, as reports of patents, coast survey operations, government explorations in geography and geology, and others of a similar character, might be assigned in larger numbers of from one hundred to three hundred, as had already been done in some instances by the Senate. These might be distributed by the Smithsonian Institution at moderate cost to the government, and direct returns or exchanges obtained for the Library of Congress, if desired.

The distribution of Congressional documents in the United States also might have been considerably modified. The copies given to the State Department for domestic distribution could only be sent to colleges or lyceums, not to regular public libraries, even of the largest class. The rule in force with the Smithsonian Institution might well be applied in this case, of making as equable a distinction as possible throughout the country, supplying all larger public libraries, and giving to smaller ones only where a large district would otherwise be destitute. It had always been matter of complaint with men pursuing special objects of research, that public documents relating to their investigations were frequently inaccessible. In order to remedy this, some department could be directed to keep full lists of all persons prominently engaged in the various branches of science, and to supply the names on such list regularly with extra copies of documents to be furnished by Congress.

August 18, 1856, the Secretary of State was authorized to purchase one hundred copies each of Audubon's Birds of America and Quadrupeds of North America, for exchange with foreign governments for valuable works.

The matter of government exchanges received, however, no further definite action until the thirty-ninth session of Congress, when the following act was passed:

A RESOLUTION to provide for the exchange of certain public documents.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled, That fifty copies of all documents hereafter printed by order of either House of Congress, and fifty copies additional of all documents printed in excess of the usual number, together with fifty copies of each publication issued by any department or bureau of the government be placed at the disposal of the Joint Committee on the Library, who shall exchange the same, through the agency of the Smithsonian Institution, for such works published in foreigu countries, and especially by foreign governments, as may be deemed by said committee an equivalent; said works to be deposited in the Library of Congress.

Approved March 2, 1867.

A primary object of this movement was to secure as regularly and economically as possible all reports and other documents relative to the legislation, jurisprudence, statistics, internal economy, technology, &c., of all nations, so as to place the mate rial at the command of the committees and members of Congress, heads of bureaus, &c.

No appropriation was made for meeting the necessary expenses, which could not conveniently be borne by the Smithsonian fund. But as a year would necessarily elapse before any documents would be ready for distribution, the following circular was issued by the institution with a view of ascertaining what governments would enter into the proposed arrangement.

CIRCULAR RELATIVE TO EXCHANGES OF GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS.

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, Washington, C. S. A., May 16, 1867. A law has just been passed by the Congress of the United States authorizing the exchange, under direction of the Smithsonian Institution, of a certain number of all United States official documents for the corresponding publications of other documents throughout the world, the returns to be placed in the national library at Washington. The works to be distributed under this law will consist of reports and proceedings of Congress, messages of the President, annual reports and occasional pub lications of departments and bureaus, &c., the whole relating to the legislation, jurisprudence, foreign relations, commerce, statistics, arts, manufactures, agriculture,

geography, hydrography, &c., of the United States, and including everything of whatever nature published either by direct order of Congress or by any of the departments of the government. The series will embrace a large number of volumes each year, the most of which are bound.

The object of the law above mentioned is to procure for the use of the Congress of the United States a complete series of the publications of other governments, to include the documents of special bureaus or departments, as well as the general publications, of whatever nature, printed at the public expense, and also embracing all such works as are published by booksellers with the aid of grants or subscriptions from governments. The law is not retrospective, although it may cover some of the publications of the last session of Congress.

Some time will necessarily elapse before the first transmission can be made, but in order to organize a plan of exchange, to be presented for consideration to the Library Committee and the Librarian of Congress, I beg leave to ask your advice as to the best method of accomplishing the objects above stated. It is important to ascertain what governments are willing to enter into the proposed exchange, and whether any one bureau or branch of government or public library in each country will undertake to collect all the national publications, as above mentioned, and transmit them to Washington, or whether separate arrangements must be made with more than one office. The former plan is considered preferable, as diminishing the labor involved, and may possibly be adopted by enactment, as has been done by the United States. Whatever method be most feasible you will confer a favor by giving us such information on these and other points as may serve for our guidance in further action.

Information is also desired as to the titles and character of the regular official publications of each country, and their average number and extent in each year, as well as the names of the different bureaus and offices from which they emanate.

The Smithsonian Institution, in behalf of the Library of Congress, is prepared to promise, if necessary, the delivery of the above-mentioned publications free of charge for freight. It will also name an agent in each country who will receive parcels or boxes containing the exchanges returned, and transmit them to Washington.

Besides the exchange of complete series of national publications, the law of Congress above stated authorizes the distribution of works on special subjects to the different bureaus having them in charge, as finance, statistics, patents, agriculture, &c., provided that copies of their publications be given in return.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOSEPH HENRY, Secretary Smithsonian Institution.

The following is a list of governments which responded favorably to the proposed international exchange of official documents: France, Belgium, Great Britain, Spain, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Netherlands, Chili, Denmark, Argentine Republic, United States of Colombia, Würtemberg, Finland, Hamburg, Baden, Sweden, Victoria.

These all embraced the opportunity offered of procuring the national publications of the United States, and proffering complete series of their own in return. Some of them indeed sent at once large packages of their works without awaiting further action on the part of our government. Among them one large box of books from the government of Victoria, Australia, was received, and its contents deposited in the Library of Congress.

In October, 1874, four cases of documents were sent to the Government of Ontario, Toronto; and in November, 1874, tive cases to the Parliamentary Library, Ottawa; five cases to the Government of Japan, and four cases to the Bibliothek des Deutschen Reichstag, Berlin.

A number of boxes were also shipped to the agents of the Institution in Europe, to be held by them for further instructions.

A large quantity of these public documents having accumulated at the Institution, it became necessary to provide for their distribution without further delay, and accordingly the Institution issued in October, 1875, the following circular:

The Congress of the United States has authorized the exchange, under the direction of the Joint Library Committee of Congress, through the Smithsonian Institution, of a certain number of all United States official documents for the corresponding publications of other governments throughout the world, the returns to be placed in the national library at Washington. The works to be distributed consist of reports and proceedings of Congress, messages of the President, annual reports and occasional publications of departments and bureaus, &c., the whole relating to the legislation, jurisprudence, foreign relations, commerce, statistics, arts, manufactures, agriculture, geography, hydrography, &c., of the United States, and including everything of whatever nature, published either by direct order of Congress or by any of the departments of the government. The series embraces a large number of volumes each gear, the most of which are bound.

The exchange expected from each government is a complete series of its publica

tions, to include the documents of special bureaus or departments as well as the general publications of whatever nature, printed at the public expense, and also embracing all such works as are published by booksellers with the aid of grants or subscriptions from governments.

The Smithsonian Institution, in behalf of the Joint Library Committee of Congress, is prepared to deliver the publications of the United States, free of charge for freight, to any person in the city of Washington or in New York who may be designated by the governments which enter into the arrangement.

The books intended for the United States are to be delivered to either of the Smithsonian agents, viz:

London.-William Wesley, 28 Essex street, Strand.

Paris.-G. Bossange, 16 Rue du 4 Septembre.

Leipsic.-Dr. Felix Flügel, 12 Sidonien strasse.

St. Petersburg.-L. Watkins & Co., 10 Admiralty Place.
Amsterdam.-F. Müller, Heerengracht.

Milan.-U. Hoepli, 591 Galeria Cristoforia.

Harlem.-Bureau Scientifique Central Néerlandais.
Christiania.-Kongelige Norske Fredericks Universitetet.
Stockholm.-Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps Akademien.
Copenhagen.-Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab.

For all other countries packages may be delivered to the United States ministers. An invoice for each transmission should be sent by mail to the Institution.

JOSEPH HENRY, Secretary Smithsonian Institution.

This circular was sent with the following letter to the foreign ministers in Washington representing the following countries: Argentine Republic, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Brazil, Chili, Denmark, France, German Empire, Great Britain, Guatemala, Hawaii, Hayti, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Salvador, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Turkey, United States of Colombia, Venezuela.

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, Washington, D. C., October 30, 1875.

SIR: I have the honor, accompanying this, to transmit a circular relative to the exchange of the documents published by the United States with those of other nations, and to request you to state to whom the boxes now ready for transmission, intended for your government, shall be delivered.

Very, respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOSEPH HENRY, Secretary Smithsonian Institution.

In accordance with the instructions received by the Institution, in response to the foregoing letter, the following distribution of documents was made:

Argentine Republic.—Six cases, sent to G. Videla Dorna, Albemarle Hotel, New York.
Belgium.-Six cases, sent to Peter Wright & Sons, Philadelphia.
Brazil.-Six cases, sent to vice-consul, 52 South Gay street, Baltimore.
Chili.-Six cases, sent to Muñoz & Espriella, 52 Pine street, New York.
France.-Six cases, sent to Consul General of France, New York.

Mexico. Six cases, sent to Juan N. Navarro, Consul-General of Mexico, New York.
Portugal.-Six cases, sent to Consul-General of Portugal, New York.

Sweden.-Six cases, sent to consulate, 18 Exchange Place, New York.
Turkey.-Six cases, sent to legation, Washington, D. C.

During the year 1876, 120 boxes of documents were forwarded, the following being a list of the distribution:

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