are in the hands of private persons or institutions, to report to the Association respecting the same, and in general to perform, mutatis mutandis, such services with respect to American history as have been performed with respect to British history by the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts first appointed by the Queen of Great Britain in 1869." 1 The plans and the accomplishments, as well as the valuable and useful data collected by the Historical Manuscripts Commission, are found in its Reports as published in the Annual Reports of the American Historical Association. These reports, which contain many valuable side lights on Public Archives, or on materials closely related thereto, are as follows: First Report of the Historical Manuscripts Commission of the American Historical Association: Contains "A list of printed guides to and descriptions of Archives and other repositories of historical manuscripts." 2 Second Annual Report of the Historical Manuscripts Commission of the American Historical Association: Contains a calendar of "The Colonial Assemblies and their legislative journals." a Third Annual Report of the Historical Manuscripts Commission: Contains "Items respecting historical manuscripts in libraries and archives"; also a "Guide to the items relating to American history in the reports of the English Historical Manuscripts Commission and their appendixes." Fourth Annual Report of the Historical Manuscripts Commission: Contains the "Correspondence of John C. Calhoun. Fifth Annual Report of the Historical Manuscripts Com 1 Annual Report of the American Historical Association for 1896, Vol. I, p. 467. 2 Annual Report of the American Historical Association for 1896, Vol. I, p. 467. 3 Annual Report of the American Historical Association for 1897, p. 399. 4 Annual Report of the American Historical Association for 1898, p. 567. 5 Annual Report of the American Historical Association for 1899, Vol. II, mission: Contains "Additional items respecting historical manuscripts.'' 1 Sixth Report of the Historical Manuscripts Commission: Contains the "Diary and correspondence of Salmon P. Chase." 2 But of more importance than the establishment of the Historical Manuscripts Commission, and bearing more directly on the problems of the care, preservation, and publication of Public Archives, was the provision made in December, 1899, at the Boston meeting of the American Historical Association, for a Public Archives Commission which which was "charged to investigate and report, from the point of view of historical study, upon the character, contents and functions of our public repositories of manuscript records, and having power to appoint local agents in each State, through whom their inquiries may be in part conducted." It was further understood at the outset that, in view of the existence of the Historical Manuscripts Commission, "the Public Archives Commission was to limit itself to an examination of documentary material of a public or governmental nature. such as is usually classed under the head of archives, public records, or state papers.' Soon after its establishment agents or representatives of the Public Archives Commission were appointed in a number of the states as "Adjunct Members of the Commission." The undersigned has served as the Adjunct Member from Iowa since the first appointments were made in 1900. The first work of this Public Archives Commission was a preliminary investigation of State records, the nature of which is best set forth in the following circular which was addressed to Adjunct Members as a general guide: The Public Archives Commission was appointed at the meeting of the American Historical Association at Boston, December 27-29, 1899. The purpose of the commission is to examine into the condition and 1 Annual Report of the American Historical Association for 1900, Vol. I. p. 587. 2 Annual Report of the American Historical Association for 1902, Vol. II, p. 5. 3 Annual Report of the American Historical Association for 1900, Vol. II, |