The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-12-28

MIR. WOODBURY. observed thai be should accep, the
honor which had been conferred on him of urrstntiog
The memorial To the Senate for reli TO the Institute
lie should DO tins, and support the measure ii neces-
sary, for one or two reasons which might have an in
huenee with some IN lie iay T. who, like him would
otherwise entertain doubts TO It's be NO constitution
al The committee just appointed 10 dIaught The me
mortal might also deem II ekEedent, among other
things, TO state IN H. and thus bling early 10 the at
tsniion Of COnsess, such views as were calculated In
obslaie any constitutional objection 10 relief; and
hence he crayed their indulgence as well as that or
the other gentlemen present. for OBTAINING htm a sin
gle moment with stating those reasons. The first
that had operated him was that the ln,t into
situated in the District of Columbia over which
Congress possessed the power of exclusive eoi,la
ton power much less limited In character tina that
which II possessed over The States On this accouut
chiefly though street cCDstruclions like ms friend
| on the hfr, &c. J. lng,rso he had felt justified n,
voting TO incorporate this Institute But tb,r, wa,
another, If stronger consideration which seemed
10 him to justify not only the act Of INCORPORATION but
appropriation for the aid 10 be asked ia the propos
ed memorial. Ii was this The Institute wa, a rub.
lie body and, among other things engaged IN the care
OF certain articles OF public property and wha,
most gentlemen might not be aware Of the aid re-
qu' ste1 was towards deiTayng tie expense incurred
by this The expense consisted chiefly Of post
ayes on correspondence IN relation 10 those articles
and of the freight and due preservation of them He
lule public b'dy, because, 30 far from being pri.
va,e enterprise or its labors devoted TO private
objects, the right of its members TO the collec.
III n' under lis charge being Of private character it
was public throughout and the legal interest in the
whole was, by the charter, expressly reserved to the
United States. Such he knew was the intention Of
is founders, and he believed il had been fully carried
out in the act of incorporation.
There IS nothing belonging 10 lis individual mem
bers which can be inherited oy heirs transferred 10
nr sold rpaI
case OF corporations for banks, bridges, insurance
manufacturing, &c.
Care was taken originally to make the Institute
different from all other chartered bodies even in this
District, SO as 10 elevate it above every motive OF
personal Misunderstanding ITS labors exclusively TO
objects Of public character, aud yesting all the pro-
perry possessed for this purpose in the Government
itself and thus, by rendering it national in substance
as well as name, 10 obyiate any constitutional OBJ
lections which might arise against measure, in it,
behalf.
When the community or Congress advert TO these
| circumstances, it will at once be seen how broad
distinction exists between assistance TO such BODY
and one of private character and where the mem
oers possess private pecunlary interest.
Let gentlemen understand, then, that il not the
liberal object of encouragement to science and lite
nature which animates many Of the members of the
Institute, and has induced them to incur such perso
nal labor and sacrifices increasing its collections,
nor the active interest excited in their behalf III many
in my view renders it strictly constitutional as well
proper for the Government to aid in defrayng the
small expense incurred in making and preserving
those collections but il is that the legal interest in
the whole of them belongs by the charter to the Ge
neral Government itself, and, consequently, the
whole are deposited in the public buildings and
are under the substantial control Of the officers
! Of that Government. When we add 10 these
considerations the facts that the first articles placed
in the charge of the Institute were collected
! from the War, Navy, and State Departments, in
some of which trouble and expense had before been
| incurred IN taking Of them, and that many OF
the additions since from persons connected with
those Departments and that by law the heads Of all
the Executive Departments oDicio members of
the Institute, and else the chief Official power
over its concerns, 1t seems reasonable less than
constitutional, for that Government TO assist in the
expense Of taking Of its own property 1t Is
quite reasonable as il it all remained where por
ton of II originally, in the exclusive custody Of
several Of the Executive Departments and quite as
honorable as reasonable, when reflect that all the
interference OF Others with this property, all the
wees and donations OF others connected with II have
been with view TO aid the interests Of The Govern
ment rather than their own private emoument and
to advance lis reputation and usefulness in the
OF science, literature, and the arts far IL be-
done by the careful collection and preservation of
many valuable articles of public property, suited 10
| throw new light on and promote those great object,
| p S. In order TO render the whole proceeding,
complete, II Is proper TO state that the Hon. Nh
WALKER has been appointed in the place Of the Hon
DIR. LINN, deceased on the committee of June 1892
and the Hon. MIR. RWEs, the Hon. Mr. CHoArE. and
ALtx DALLAS BAcHg, Esq, Superintendent Of the
Coast Survey, have been added TO the same com.
nittee.