American Historical Association.

The annual meeting of the American Historical Association was held on December 28th and the two following days at Washington, D. C. After the usual business had been transacted. Professor G. B. Goode, assistant secretary of the Smithsonian Institute, read a paper on the "Uses and Limitations of Historical Museums." The meeting was by far the most successful one the association has had during its short life of four years. A very large number of members was present, although, to be sure, New England was very poorly represented, probably owing to Christmas and New Year's festivals. A few days before the meeting the bill incorporating the American Historical Association passed both houses of Congress. The corporators are Justin Winsor, Hon. Andrew D. White, George Bancroft, William Poole, Herbert B. Adams, and Clarence W. Brewer.

According to the charter, the office of the association is to be in Washington. The association is entitled to hold $500,000 worth of property for the purposes of the association, and is made a sort of an annex to the Smithsonian Institute, thereby being made a part and parcel of the National Government. Annual reports must be made to the secretary of the Smithsonian, who presents it, together with his own report, to the Government. The association is allowed to deposit its collections, manuscripts, books, pamphlets, and other materials for the study of American history.

The main object of the association is to increase the facilities for the study of American history. With this in view, the members are at present at work in drawing up a bill providing for the establishment of a "National Hall of Records," in which the archives of the United States can be carefully kept and preserved. At present the archives are scattered more or less over the United States and are kept in a rather slipshod manner. To remedy this, the association is bending all its efforts.

The bill will without doubt pass the Senate, as Senator Hoar and a few others have promised to take the matter in hand. In the House of Represen-tatives, however, such results can hardly be expected, as the bill will call for a large appropriation and for approval of the list of officials of the Hall of Records by the American Historical Association. This naturally excludes all patronage and spoils, and the representatives prefer to take up some more lucrative bill. Nevertheless, the association hopes that the bill will pass; however, if such does not turn out to be the case, the association will not alter the bill, as a Hall of Records with officials unfit for their positions would be no benefit for students of United States history.