United States Statutes at Large/Volume 5/27th Congress/2nd Session/Chapter 204
Chap. CCIV.—An Act to provide for publishing an account of the discoveries made by the Exploring Expedition, under the command of Lieutenant Wilkes, of the United States Navy.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,Account to be published under the direction of the Joint Library committee. That there shall be published, under the supervision and direction of the Joint committee on the Library, “an account of the discoveries made by the Exploring Expedition, under the command of Lieutenant Wilkes of the United States Navy;” which account shall be prepared with illustrations and published in a form similar to the voyage of the Astrolabe, lately published by the Government of France.
Proposals to be advertised for.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That when such account shall have been written, and the illustrations for the same shall have been prepared, an advertisement shall be inserted in the papers publishing the laws of the United States, inviting proposals for printing one hundred copies of the same for the United States, to be delivered to the Librarian of Congress in a time, and at a price to be stipulated in such contract;Contract to be given to the lowest bidder, &c. and the contract shall be made with, and given to, the person offering and giving sufficient assurance to perform the work at the lowest price; and on such contract being made, the “account” shall be delivered to such contractor.
Objects of natural history to be deposited in the Patent Office, &c.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That until other provisions made by law for the safe-keeping and arrangement of such objects of natural history as may be in possession of the Government, the same shall be deposited and arranged in the upper room of the Patent Office, under the care of such person as may be appointed by the Joint Committee on the Library.
Approved, August 26, 1842.