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XX

The report of the executive committee for the year ending June 30, 1905, presented and accepted at the annual meeting, was adopted.

Doctor Bell, on behalf of the executive committee, reported that in accordance with the action of the Board at its last meeting the request of Bell & Co. had been submitted to the attorney for the Institution, who had expressed the opinion that the Institution was neither morally nor legally obligated. The matter was referred back to the committee for further inquiry and consideration, and Senator Bacon was designated to act with the committee.

Doctor Bell, on behalf of the executive committee, referring to the resolution adopted at the last meeting, authorizing the committee to apply to Congress for an appropriation to cover the amount collected for the International Catalogue by the Institution, and embezzled by the late accountant, reported that it was deemed inadvisable to make such application, but recommended that Congress be asked to appropriate funds for the continuance of the catalogue on behalf of the Government. He offered the following resolutions, which were separately adopted:

Resolved, That there be paid to the Central Bureau of the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature at London, from time to time as the funds permit, the sum embezzled by W. W. Karr from the subscriptions to this Catalogue collected by the Institution.

Resolved, That it is the sense of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution that the work for the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature be continued, and that application be made to Congress for a sufficient annual appropriation to enable this work to be carried on under the direction of the Institution.

The Acting Secretary read the following resolutions regarding the aerodromic work of the late Secretary, which had been adopted by the Aero Club of America on January 20, 1906:

Whereas our esteemed colleague. Dr. S. P. Langley, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, met with an accident in launching his aerodrome, thereby missing a decisive test of the capabilities of this man-carrying machine, built after his models, which flew successfully many times; and

Whereas, in that difficult experiment, he was entitled to fair judgment and distinguished consideration because of his important achievements in investigating the laws of dynamic flight, and in the construction of a variety of successful flying models: Therefore be it