struction of the legislature, your committee herewith bring in a bill, which is respectfully submitted. E. B. FRENCH, Chairman. STATE OF MAINE. IN SENATE, March 18, 1844. ORDERED, That 300 copies of the foregoing Report, be printed for the use of the Legislature. JERE HASKELL, Secretary. REPORT. THE joint standing committee on the Library, to which was referred so much of the Governor's Message as relates to a "communication from Alexandre Vattemare in relation to the system of National exchanges proposed by him, letters from Henry Ledyard, president of the American Athenæum at Paris, and from the directors, secretary and treasurer of the Museum of National History at Paris, together with those communications," have had the same under consideration and ask leave to REPORT: That by the memorial of Alexandre Vattemare addressed to the Legislature of 1841, the attention of the authorities and of the people of Maine was first invited to the important subject of mutual literary and scientific exchanges with foreign countries. The obvious advantages of the system proposed by Mr. Vattemare, for the establishment of which he had then devoted his time, energies and property for thirteen years, received the favorable consideration of the Legislature of 1841, and resolves were passed by that body providing for the printing of fifty additional copies of each volume of laws, resolves, and public documents, for the purpose of exchange with foreign countries, and authorizing the Governor to transmit the same for exchange to the agents of foreign countries in the United States. In pursuance of the same laudable design the Legislature of 1843 provided for the annual transmission of the laws, resolves, and Legislative documents of this State to the American Athenæum, an institution established at Paris, by citizens of the United States, for the purpose of collecting information in relation to the jurispru dence, the state of society, and the institutions of America. The letter from Mr. Vattemare, now under consideration is ad dressed to the Governor of Maine, and dated Paris, October 10, 1843. It is accompanied by a printed document, which he transmits in accordance with a resolution passed at a meeting of American citizens in Paris, on the 27th of March, 1843. This document contains an account of the proceedings of that meeting upon the subject of international literary exchanges, an address by Mr. Vattemare upon the literary exchanges recently made between France and the United States, reports made in the Chamber of Peers, and in the Chamber of Deputies, resolutions of the city Council of Paris, and various letters from ministers of France and other distinguished persons, which satisfy your committee that this system is rapidly advancing in public favor, and that it will ere long be universally regarded as an invaluable establishment for the accumulation and diffusion of knowledge, by rendering accessible, at small expense, to every nation, the improvements and discoveries of other nations in art, science and every branch of useful knowledge. Mr. Vattemare says, "the documents received from the Secretary of State were deposited by me, in the name of the State of Maine, in the libraries of different public establishments of Paris; and in return our city corporation has voted unanimously its public documents to the State, expressing at the same time the lively sympathy of its members for the inhabitants of that State, as well as their earnest desire to see this brotherly intercourse established forever between Paris and Maine." The minister of Commerce has likewise transmitted to the State a complete collection of commercial statistics of France. The principal purpose of the communication of Mr. Vattemare is to recommend to the State of Maine the appointment of an agent for receiving, expediting and forwarding the objects of exchange. In the same spirit of devotion to his great enterprize which has characterised his efforts for more than fifteen years, he proposes to act himself as the the agent of Maine, asking no compensation for his services, but reimbursement only for the charges of receiving, packing up, carriage, exportation and other necessary expenses. The letter of Henry Ledyard, president of the American Athe |