er were in the same disgraceful condition, and were
unfit for any real work.

Admiral Franklin was made superintendent sometime in 1883, I believe,
and issued an order providing that the work of the observatory should
be planned by a board consisting of the superintendent, the senior
line officer, and the senior professor. Professors or officers
in charge of instruments were required to prepare a programme for
their proposed work each year in advance, which programme would be
examined by the board. Of the work of this board or its proceedings,
no clear knowledge can be gleaned from the published reports, nor
do I know how long it continued.

In 1885 Secretary Whitney referred to the National Academy of Sciences
the question of the advisability of proceeding promptly with the
erection of a new naval observatory upon the site purchased in 1880.
The report of the academy was in the affirmative, but it was added
that the observatory should be erected and named as a national
one, and placed under civilian administration. The year following
Congress made the preliminary appropriation for the commencement of
the new building, but no notice was taken of the recommendation of
the academy.

In 1891 the new buildings were approaching completion, and Secretary
Tracy entered upon the question of the proper administration of
the observatory. He discussed the subject quite fully in his annual
report for that year, stating his conclusion in the following terms:--

I therefore recommend the adoption of legislation which
shall instruct the President to appoint, at a sufficient
salary, without restriction, from persons either within or
outside the naval service, the ablest and most accomplished
astronomer who can be found for the position of
superintendent.

At the following session of Congress Senator Hale introduced an
amendment to the naval appropriation bill, providing for the expenses
of a commission to be appointed by the Secretary of the Navy,
to consider and report upon the organization of the observatory.
The House non-concurred in this amendment, and it was dropped from
the bill.

At the same session, all the leading astronomers of the country
united in a petition to Congress, asking that the recommendation of
the Secretary of the Navy should be carried into effect. After a
very patient hearing of arguments on the subject by Professor Boss
and others, the House Naval Committee reported unanimously against
t