The Southern Press

MEETING OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE FOR THE UNITED STATES.

Pursuant to the notice given, the Central Committee

met at the rooms of the National Institute, in the

Patent Office, on Thursday evening, the 13th instant,

at 8 o'clock.

The meeting was called to order by Professor Walter R. Johnson, on whose motion Col. Peter Force

was called to the Chair, and Charles F. Stansbury

chosen Secretary of the meeting.

This temporary organization having been effected,

the committee proceeded to organize permanently by

the appointment of the Hon. Millard Fillmore, President of the United States, Chairman, and Prof.

Walter R. Johnson Secretary.

At the request of the Chairman, (Col. Force,)

the following papers were read by Prof. Johnson, in

explanation of the appointment and duties of the

committee:

State Department,

WASHINGTON, May 17, 1850.

To the President of the National Institute

for the Promotion of Science.

Sir: I have the honor herewith to transmit copies of a correspondence which has taken place between the Minister Plenipotentiary of her Majesty

the Queen of Great Britain and this Department relative to the proposed Industrial Exhibition to be held

in London in the year 1851.

From the circular of the Royal Commissioners of

Great Britain, hereto annexed, it will be observed that

all objects intended to be introduced from foreign

countries and entered for that Exhibition are required

to have been first submitted to and approved by a central authority or commission of the country from

which they shall be brought, and that no other will

be recognized as a central authority except such as

shall have been so certified by the Government of the

country in which it exists.

That American industry and arts may be enabled to

appear in the place allotted to them, it will be indispensable that a recognized central authority should be

constituted; and I am under the impression that the

National Institute, having been regularly incorporated

by act of Congress, and being habitually engaged in

matters pertaining to the arts and sciences, is the

proper body for taking the initiative in constituting

such a central authority.

I therefore beg leave to submit to its consideration

the interesting and important subject which has been

brought to the attention of this Department by the

distinguished Envoy of her Majesty's Government,

and to request such action or suggestions as may seem

necessary in order that the natural productions, the

ingenuity, industry, and arts of the United States

may be fully and suitably represented on the interesting occasion herein referred to.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, yours,

JOHN M. CLAYTON.

This communication was laid before the National

Institute, and by it referred to a select committee.

which brought forward the following report:

Report of the Committee of the National Institute:

The special committee, to which was referred

the communication from the Hon. John M. Clayton, Secretary of State, relative to the formation

of a central authority for transmitting articles to

the Industrial Exhibition to be held in London in

1851, offers the following report:

The committee, impressed with the importance

of the subject commended to the Institute, have

given to it their earnest and careful attention.

The resources, the ingenuity, the industry, and

arts of the United States are conceived to merit

the best endeavors to procure for them the opportunities of being adequately represented in the

great Industrial Exhibition at London.

Agreeably to the programme adopted by the Royal Commission, no articles are to be received from

Foreign Exhibitors except those which shall have

been approved by a central authority, recognized as

such by the Government of the country from which

they are sent.

This Institute being the only Society for the Promotion of Science and the Arts, directly incorporated

by the Government, the Secretary of State has deemed it the appropriate body to take action or make suggestions relative to the fulfilment of the wishes of the

Royal Commissioners, by the establishment of such a

central authority as the case seems to require.

To this voluntary proposal on the part of the Secretary of State, the committee consider the National

Institute in duty bound to respond.

In accordance with this view, the committee respectfully recommend the following resolution:

1. Resolved, That the Institute will take action

on the subject submitted to it by the Department of

State.

2. Resolved, That the Institute do now proceed

to constitute a committee suitable to be recognised by

the Government as a central body to hold correspondence with the British Commissioners, and to secure

the reception of American productions at the proposed

Industrial Exhibition in London.

PETER FORCE,

JOSEPH HENRY

WALTER R. JOHNSON,

Committee.

National Institute,

WASHINGTON, May 27, 1850.

Sir: I have the honor to make known to the Department of State the action which this Institute has

taken on the subject of your communication of the

17th instant. That action is comprised in the following resolutions, unanimously adopted after full discussion, at the meeting held this evening.

"Resolved, That the Institute will take action on

the subject submitted to it by the Department of

State.

"Resolved That the Institute do now proceed to

constitute a committee suitable to be recognised by

the Government to hold correspondence with the

British Commissioners, and to secure the reception of

American productions at the proposed Industrial Exhibition in London.

"Resolved, That a committee of not less than nineteen be appointed to constitute a Central Committee

on the Industrial Exhibition, and to correspond with

societies and local committees throughout the United

States.

"Resolved, That the President of this Institute be

a member of the Central Committee.

"Resolved, That the Corresponding Secretary communicate to the Secretary of State a copy of the foregoing resolutions, together with the names of the

Central Committee."

The following are the names of the members of

the Central Committee appointed in accordance with

the foregoing resolutions:

Hon. Millard Fillmore, Vice President of the United

States, and ex officio Chancellor of the Regents of

the Smithsonian Institution.

Col. Peter Force, President of the National Institute.

Hon. James A. Pearce, U. S. Senate, member of the

Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

Hon. Levi Woodbury, M. N. I., Associate Justice of

the Supreme Court of the United States.

Commodore Lewis Warrington, U. S. N., M. N. I.,

Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography.

Prof. Joseph Henry, Vice President of the N. I., Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute.

Prof. Walter R. Johnson, Corresponding Secretary of

the National Institute.

Prof. Alexander D. Bache, M. N. I., member of the

Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institute, and

Superintendent of the Coast Survey.

Commander Charles Wilkes, U. S. N., M. N. I., late

Commander S. S. Exploring Expedition.

Hon. William W. Seaton, M. N. I., Mayor of Washington.

Hon. Jefferson Davis, U. S. Senate, member of the

Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institute.

Lieut. Matthew F. Maury, U. S. N., Vice President

of the National Institute, and Superintendent of the

National Observatory.

J. James Greenough, Esq., M. N. I.

Charles F. Stansbury, Esq., Recording Secretary of

the National Institute.

Col. J. J. Abert, M. N. I., Chief of the Topographical

Bureau.

Gen. Joseph G. Totten, Vice President N. I., Chief

Engineer, U. S. Army.

Thomas Ewbank, Esq., Commissioner of Patents.

William Easby, Esq., Treasurer National Institute.

Leonard D. Gale, M. D., M. N. I., Examiner of

Patents.

Joseph C. G. Kennedy, Esq., M. N. I., Superintendent

of Census.

Ezra C. Seaman, Esq., M. N. I.

I have the honor to be

Very respectfully, your ob't serv't,

WALTER R. JOHNSON,

Cor. Secretary of the National Institute.

Hon. John M. Clayton, Secretary of State.

Department of State,

Washington, June 8, 1850.

Sir: I have duly received your letter of the 27th

ultimo, communicating to this Department the proceedings of the National Institute on the subject of my

note of the 17th of the same month. Those proceedings appear to me to be perfectly satisfactory; and I

have accordingly transmitted them to the British Minister in this city, with the communication, a copy of

which is enclosed for your information.

I am, sir, respectfully, your ob't serv't.

JOHN M. CLAYTON.

Walter R. Johnson, Esq., Corresponding

Secretary of the National Institute.

Department of State,

Washington, June 1, 1850.

Sir: I have the honor to transmit to you herewith

a copy of the correspondence which has passed between this Department and the National Institute for

the Promotion of Science, respecting the organization

of a committee to constitute the central authority required by the regulations of the Royal Commission on