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JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS.     137

"SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION,
"Washington, D. C., May 17, 1878.

"At a special meeting of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, held this day, Prof. Spencer Fullerton Baird, for many years the assistant secretary of the Institution, was duly elected as the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, to succeed the late Prof. Joseph Henry. 

"M.R. WAITE,
"Chancellor of the Smithsonian Institution."

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WASHINGTON, D.C., January 15, 1879.

A meeting of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution was held this day in the Regents' room, at 10 o'clock a.m.
 
Present, the Chancellor--Chief Justice Waite; Hon. W. A. Wheeler, Vice-President of the United States, Hon. A. A. Sargent, Hon. R. E. Withers, Hon. J. A. Garfield, Hon. H. Clymer, Dr. J. Maclean, Dr. A. Gray, Dr. H. Coppee, Hon. Peter Parker, President Porter, General Sherman, and the Secretary, Professor Baird. 

An excuse was received from Hon. H. Hamlin for non-attendance, his absence being occasioned by his appointment by the Senate on a special committee to accompany the remains to Texas of Hon. G. Schleicher, a deceased member of Congress. 

The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved.

The following communication from Mrs. Henry was laid before the Board of the Chancellor:

Hon. M. R. WAITE,
Chief Justice of the United States, 
Chancellor of the Smithsonian Institution:

MY DEAR SIR: In my great affliction it is consoling to receive from friends tributes of sympathy and testimonials of respect for my late husband. I feel very deeply the kind consideration of the Board of Regents in their official capacity. Permit me, through you, to express to them the heartfelt thanks of my children and myself for the liberality extended to us and the full appreciation of Mr. Henry's character and labors while connected with the Institution, and for the public testimonials of respect and honor to his memory. 
  
With my best wishes for the continued prosperity of the Institution, believe me yours, respectfully, 

H. A. HENRY.
WASHINGTON, January 15, 1879.

On motion of General Garfield, it was--

Resolved, That the letter of Mrs. Henry to be placed in the files of the Institution, and entered in the journal of the Board. 

The Secretary, professor Baird, presented a statement of the financial condition of the Institution for the year 1878, which for convenience of reference he had printed.