he measure, claiming that the navy had plenty of officers able to
administer the observatory in a satisfactory way, and that there
was therefore no necessity for a civilian head.

Two years later, Senator Morrill offered an amendment to the
legislative appropriation bill, providing that the superintendent of
the observatory should be selected from civil life, and be learned
in the science of astronomy. He supported his amendment by letters
from a number of leading astronomers of the country in reply to
questions which he had addressed to them.

This amendment, after being approved by the Senate Naval Committee,
was referred by the Committee on Appropriations to the Secretary
of the Navy. He recommended a modification of the measure so
as to provide for the appointment of a "Director of Astronomy,"
to have charge of the astronomical work of the observatory, which
should, however, remain under a naval officer as superintendent.
This arrangement was severely criticised in the House by Mr. Thomas
B. Reed, of Maine, and the whole measure was defeated in conference.

In 1892, when the new observatory was being occupied, the
superintendent promulgated regulations for its work. These set forth
in great detail what the observatory should do. Its work was divided
into nine departments, each with its chief, besides which there
was a chief astronomical assistant and a chief nautical assistant
to the superintendent, making eleven chiefs in all. The duties of
each chief were comprehensively described. As the entire scientific
force of the observatory numbered some ten or twelve naval officers,
professors, and assistant astronomers, with six computers, it may
be feared that some of the nine departments were short-handed.

In September, 1894, new regulations were established by the Secretary
of the Navy, which provided for an "Astronomical Director," who
was to "have charge of and to be responsible for the direction,
scope, character, and preparation for publication of all work purely
astronomical, which is performed at the Naval Observatory." As there
was no law for this office, it was filled first by the detail of
Professor Harkness, who served until his retirement in 1899, then
by the detail of Professor Brown, who served until March, 1901.

In 1899 the Secretary of the Navy appointed a Board of Visitors
to the observatory, comprising Senator Chandler, of New Hampshire,
Hon. A. G. Dayton, House of Representatives, and Pr