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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION  807
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To the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

Dear Sirs:

The undersigned, appointed as a Special Law Committee of the Board of Regents "to consider the queries propounded by the Memorandum of the Acting Secretary, dated May 11, 1927, in connection with the 'Material Papers Relating to the Freer Gift and Bequest'", beg leave to submit the following report:

It is not deemed to be necessary to review at length the events which preceded the making of the Freer Gift and Bequest or to discuss the general principles of law which are applicable. It is assumed that the members of the Board of Regents are familiar with the general history of the matter as set forth in the pamphlet published by the Smithsonian Institution entitled, "Material Papers Relating to the Freer Gift and Bequest." This report will be confined to the points raised in the Memorandum of the Acting Secretary to which the resolution appointing this Committee refers.

The Memorandum presents eleven questions which will be considered [[underlined]] seriatim [[/underlined]]:

Q. 1. Does Paragraph 4 of the Deed of Gift of May 5, 1906, require the Smithsonian, without use of any Freer funds whatever, to provide upkeep, repair, watch, heat, light, cleaning of building, repair and cleaning of collections, recording, labelling and moving of specimens? If so does the said care of specimens extend to new additions thereto?"

The Deed of Gift, of May 5, 1906, conveyed to the Smithsonian Institution "the art objects belonging to said party of the first part" (Mr. Freer) "and now in his possession at No. 33 Ferry Avenue east, in the City of Detroit, Michigan, particularly enumerated in the printed inventory hereto attached and made a part hereof." The conveyance was upon specified conditions. Mr. Freer was to bequeath to the Institution the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000) to be used exclusively in the construction and equipment of a
[[initialed]] CGA [[/initialed]]