Publication InformationWashington, D.C. Feb. 26 1870.

Page 1

My Dear Mr Marsh.

Your letter of the 31 of Jan. came to hand a short time ago, & we have at once taken steps to secure the documents you wish. Not hearing from the gentlemen mentioned by you, we have just addressed notes to them, recapitulating your desiderata & expressing our readiness to forward at once any thing they may be able to spare. I do not know any one who could be hired to make a business of gathering these documents for you; & if the gentlemen referred to, respond at all to your invitation, it will not be necessary to incur any expense in regard to it. You know it always gives me pleasure to do any thing to oblige so dear a friend, & one to whom I feel under so many obligations, in the kind consideration of a good life time.

Professor Henry wrote you, probably, in regard to the duty charged by the Italian government upon Smithsonian packages, stating that until the question could be settled, no further transmissions would be made by this Institution. We have had half a dozen boxes packed since June last, with just the matter you wish, & addressed to all kinds of public libraries in Italy, enclosing not only our own publications, but those of the government, such as the Agricultural Report, the Report of the Statistical Bureaus etc.; but of course, we cannot ourselves afford to pay the duties exacted on our last transmissions. If, therefore, the Italian government is at all interested in getting this matter, & any other

that we can obtain it will be just as well to decree that no duty shall be charged. Italy is the only country in the world where such exactions are made of us; Mexico, Brazil, Chili, & the smaller States of America generally voting unanimously to remove the restrictions on our exchanges. As I said before, until this matter is settled, we shall send nothing whatever to Italy; which means, not only a cessation of the receipt of the Smithsonian publications, but those of the government & of the learned establishments of America.

We shall soon commence making up complete sets of public documents, for transmission to the national libraries of the various countries of Europe; but, of course, Italy excepted for the present. Should you have occasion to communicate with the Institution on this or any other Smithsonian matter, please address your communication directly to Professor Henry. Any thing personal between ourselves, always send to me at 918, N.Y. Avenue; or even if addressed Washington City, simply, without mentioning the Smithsonian Institution, it will be brought to my house.

We have been having a very good time this winter in various ways, & have seen a great deal of the Edmunds & Miss Crane. We have become very much attached to all of them, & are especially pleased with Miss Crane, who wins upon us more as we know her better. Mary & Lucy are quite well & are also enjoying themselves. Charley Churchill & his wife have just left us after a visit of a couple of weeks. We expect Sewell Cutting here to-morrow. He never tires, nor his wife either, in sounding your praises, & especially those of Mrs Marsh.

The Smithsonian is flourishing & improving in its usefulness. Professor Henry has been quite ill, but is better. He talks

of visiting Europe for a few month for the benefit of his health. I am as busy as ever; in fact rather more so. Among other occupations for my idle hours is that of furnishing a monthly Chapter to Harper's Magazine, of new Scientific discoveries & announcements. It has proved to be quite a success. I wish I could have an opportunity to talk over various enterprizes & projects with you, & feel almost tempted to go & lobby for your removal from Italy & your forcible return to Washington. This, however, while "meat" to me, would be "prison" to you; & so, upon the whole I will not do it.

Very truly Yours,S. F. Baird.Hon. G. P. MarshU.S. Minister,Italy.

References in this letter:

Trained as a physicist, Joseph Henry (1797-1878) was professor of natural philosophy at Princeton University where he conducted original research on electricity and magnetism. When the Smithsonian Institution was created, he was chosen as its first Secretary. From 1846 to 1878 Henry established basic policies and defined the scope of the Smithsonian's activities.

National Research Council (U.S.) Agricultural Research Institute,Annual Report. Washington, DC, The Institute, 1868.

United States. Dept. of the Treasury. Bureau of Statistics. The Cost of Labor and Subsistence in the United States for the Year 1869, as Compared with Previous Years. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1870.

George Franklin Edmunds (1828-1919) began his career practicing law in Burlington. He served in the Vermont State House of Representatives and in the State Senate. In 1866 he was elected to the United States Senate as a Republican to fill the vacancy caused by Solomon Foot's death and served for four terms. He resigned in 1891. Edmunds was married to Susan Edmunds, the daughter of Marsh's sister and Wyllys Lyman, his Burlington friend.

Carrie Marsh Crane, Caroline Marsh's niece, daughter of her brother Thomas, accompanied the Marshs for a number of years during his tenure as minister to Italy. She died in a shipwreck in 1874.

Mary Baird's younger brother.

Mary Baird's cousin, the Rev. Sewall Sylvester Cutting (d. 1880), was a professor at the University of Rochester. He encouraged exploration expeditions in the American northwest.

Harper's Magazine. New York: 1850-present. Monthly.