In compliance with a resolution of the Senate of the 19th December, 1866, information in respect to the progress made in collecting the products and the weights, measures, and coins of the United States, for exhibition at the Universal Exposition at Paris, in April next. JANUARY 21, 1867.-Read, referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations, and ordered to be printed. To the Senate of the United States: In compliance with a resolution of the 19th ultimo, requesting certain information in regard to the Universal Exposition to be held at Paris during the present year, I transmit a report from the Secretary of State and the documents to which it refers. WASHINGTON, January 18, 1867. ANDREW JOHNSON. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 18, 1867. SIR: The Secretary of State, to whom has been referred the resolution of the Senate of the 19th ultimo, requesting information in respect to the progress made in collecting the products, and also the weights, measures, and coins of the United States, for exhibition at the Universal Exposition at Paris, in April next, has the honor to transmit a copy of papers embodying the information called for by the resolution. Respectfully submitted: The PRESIDENT of the United States. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. List of Papers. Mr. Derby to Mr. Seward, with an accompaniment, 15th December, 1866. Mr. Seward to Mr. Ruggles, 9th October, 1866. Mr. Ruggles to Mr. Seward, with an accompaniment, 20th December, 1866. Mr. Ruggles to Mr. Beckwith, 9th January, 1867. Mr. Derby to Mr. Seward. UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR THE PARIS UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION, New York, December 15, 1866. SIR: I respectfully enclose herewith a copy of the report of the several chairmen of my advisory committee, who represent the ten groups of products which form the exhibition from the United States at the Paris Universal Expo sition. I commend to your particular attention the statements made of the necessities of further appropriations for successfully maintaining the character of the country at the approaching exposition. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. C. DERBY, United States General Agent. Hon. Wм. H. SEWARD, Secretary of State. PARIS UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION, 1867. REPORT OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. NEW YORK, December 15, 1866. SIR: At a meeting of the Advisory Committee for the United States, of the Paris Universal Exposition of 1867, held in the city of New York on the 4th day of December, 1866, the secretary, Professor Charles A. Joy, was directed to perpare an abstract of the minutes of previous meetings, and to state what further measures would, in the opinion of the committee, be required, in order to carry on the work to a successful completion. The attention of our government was first called to the Exposition in a letter of M. de Geofroy to Mr. Seward, dated March 27, 1865. In reply to this letter, Mr. Bigelow was instructed to say, that the President was favorably disposed towards the project, and promised concurrence as far as possible, subject to the approval of Congress. It is well known that President Lincoln was fully impressed with the importance of having our country well represented in Paris, and that he gave all the attention to the subject that the important cares of state at that time permitted. Mr. N. M. Beckwith, an eminent American merchant, residing in Paris, was appointed commissioner general, and yourself United States agent; but there was no authority to incur expense, and all active movements were delayed until the meeting of Congress. In the mean time, some of the citizens of New York, who felt a deep interest in the proper representation of our country at the "Universal Exposition," at your request, and with the approbation of the State Department at Washington, organized an "advisory committee," to assist you, at least in some of your arduous labors, particularly in the selection of applications for admission of products. This committee consisted of ten members-one for each of the ten (10) groups, as set forth in the imperial programme-and on them has hitherto largely devolved the management of the affairs of the Exposition on this side of the ocean, under your direction, and with the aid of efficient assistants. The committee have called in the aid of experts under each class, and have constantly labored, both in the city of New York and in journeys through portions of the United States, to secure a full representation of the multiform and various products of the country. They have had the benefit of the active co-operation of several State commissioners, of many societies, and of private individuals, and have occasionally had the opportunity of consulting with some of the commissioners appointed by the government. The services of the Advisory Committee throughout the year, as you are aware, have been wholly gratuitous, no appropriation having been made to defray such expenses. The present condition of the work in this country can best be learned from the record of their proceedings. By that record it will appear that early in January of the present year the following communication was addressed to you by the Advisory Committee: "Your communication of the 19th instant, informing us that, upon consultation with prominent citizens interested in the growth and development of the resources of our country,' we had been designated as a committee to aid you in the selection of proper articles for exhibition in Paris in 1867, has been duly received; and after a brief consideration of the subject, and in compliance with your request, we beg leave to submit the following suggestions: "This is the first time that the government has proposed to take part in a foreign exhibition. Hitherto the representation has been by individual effort and without system, and has been in no sense national. "It is now incumbent upon those having the matter in charge to take prompt, efficient, and comprehensive action, to insure a creditable display of the products and productive capacity of the United States; and if, in consequence of the shortness of time and of inadequate appropriations, it is found that the work cannot be properly done, it would be better for the nation to be excluded from the Exposition than for us to send forward a defective and partial exhibition, which will be neither useful nor respectable, nor in any way representative of the products of the country. "The representation of the United States at the Exposition of 1867 that would be satisfactory to its government and its people, and worthy of effort and expenditures, would be one that furnishes its representative products in each of the several classes as set forth by the imperial commissioners, so far as they are known to exist in this country. “In our judgment, even if the time were not short, there would be great difficulty in undertaking to obtain these products by an appeal for voluntary offers; but under present circumstances, and expressly in reference to that of time, it is not to be expected that such measures will effect the desired representation, and that therefore recourse must be had to very different means in order to insure the end in view. "First. As it appears to us, it is necessary that it be made known to the people of the United States that it is the intention of the government, in view of great and important national considerations, to take the necessary measures, with the co-operation of its citizens, to have the products and productive capacity of the country fairly represented at the Exposition of 1867. Second. That the government will furnish all the transportation necessary from the seaports of the United States to Paris and back; that it will provide agents to receive, take care of, and return the products furnished; and that it will empower a suitable commission to apply for and receive applications in such detail as may be necessary for selection, and finally to determine what articles are to be asked for, obtained, and forwarded, and that, in defining the duties of such commission, it shall be specially provided that the best products of the several kinds shall be selected, and where there are numerous producers of the same class of products of the same degree of excellence, care shall be taken to apportion the articles among as large a number of producers as possible. "A publication of this intention of the government, accompanied by an appeal in the proper spirit and language, and setting forth clearly what is asked for of the producers, and, impressively, the principle of fairness and impartiality that will be required of the commission, would, it appears to us, meet with a response which would enable the commission to perform its part. "To some extent the commission might find it necessary to make special application to obtain creditable products. It would be of great service to such commission to have copies of the catalogues of the Expositions of 1851, 1855, and 1862, in Europe, and of 1853 in the United States. "The government of the United States ought to be a contributor, as is the case with foreign governments. It could order the whole of the larger parts of an engine for a war steamer to be set up in Paris, as a fair indication of our capacity in that class of production. |