The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-08-06
The Smithsonian Institution.


lance transacted,
The Smithsonian Institution.
Mr.. Smithson, benevolent Englshman, be-
fore he died, bequeathed to the United States OF
America, among other matters, money to the
amount of S5l5, 1859. to "iound at Washington,
under the name OF the Smithsonian Institution, an
establishment for the increase and diffusion OF
knowledge among men," This trust fund was
accepted by Congress, July l, 1886, and the money
was received September l, 1888. Take notice
that this money was bequeathed to the United
States of America, which can only mean 10 the
people of these United States. We, therefore, in
vte the attention of the people OF this country to
one or two facts-and first TO the living shame
and dishonor, that for eight years the United
States have been in possession of this trust fund,
and still refuse to execute the trust
And next We call the attention of the people to
the most extraordinary bill, which passed the
House of Representatives on the 29th OF April
last, which is apparently intended to execute the
will of the legator. This bill is now before the
Senate, and as it is possible may be acted upop,
feel it our duty expose it, and protest against
its passage.
The leading features of this bill are
First 1t POUNDS the institution at Washington.
Secondly, II makes provision for museum, consist
ing of cabinets Of mneraosy geology, specimens Of
natural history Col Sewers bugs, chemical iabora
tory also for gallery OF arts lectures, &c
Thirdly. But the great point OF the Dill IS II esao
fishes stupendous library, for which $4,000 per an
appropriated which is in fact all the annual
interest, save what will be required in administering
the institution, and paying its current expenses
Now what does the will require 1t requires
l. That an Institution be founded.
,. That the Institution be founded at w ashington
3. The Institution must be SO founded as to effect
l. An increase of knowledge.
O. The diffusion of knowledge among men, J
The purpose of the will is emnenty benevo-
lent-it intends to benefit men-all men-man-
kind at large, and it intends to do them good by
diffusing knowledge among them There is no
mistaking this purpose of the will. Mr.. Smithson
was the legator, and with singular sagacity he
constituted the people of the United States IN
Congress assembled to be his legatees, to admin
lister the will rightly concluding that that people
who had the most knowledge people, and
who had mos. profited by that knowledge, would
most appreciate it, and therefore be the best qua
lifted to diffuse it among men throughout the
world The legator clearly intended that the le-
gatees should administer the trust that the
word-all men-shoud be the better for it that
the inhabitants of the valleys, and the humble
jewellers in cottages beyond the distant mountains
might each and all be enabled to rise up and say,
"We have received knowledge from this institu-
tion and are the better for it-blessed be the me-
mory of the founder"
Now let us see how the House bill proposes to
execute this trust
/. The bill POUNDS an institution
2. POUNDS it at Washington.
s. The bill SO Pounds the institution as to achieve
L The collection of great library and museum Of
q Their safe keeping from all mon who do not visit
Washington.
Now did the world ever witness such solemn
perverson of trust7 Was there ever known
such distinguished legislative abuse of admins
trative functions? AS though the collection of
knowledge were the " increase of know ledge
as though the manaclng of bound volumes in a
library, and the imprisonment of cabinets of GU
riostes at Washington, were the diffusion of
knowledge among men, The man who writes
and publishes a book may increase" know
Iedge-the man who buys the book when pub
lshed, and who shelves il in library never
The farmer who sows his field and cultivates the
harvest, he is the man who "increases' wheat
not the reaper who gathers it into the granary.
The miner who deves in the bowels Of the earth
and brings to light the hidden treasure, it is he
who increases" god--not the banker who ga
theirs it into his subterranean vaults Suppose
an institution were established for the increase
and diffusion of gold among men-would its OBJ
ject be accomplished by the collection of all the
gold in the world in great United States mint,
with Herculanean vaults? What sort of an aims
house would that be which should lock up all the
provisions at Washington, while it graeiously al
lowed few of those who were not hungry to
look through the grahngs and see the victuals?
Why, il would be an imposition upon the public;
and we look upon the late House bill as just the
fellow of such an aims house. An institution
which should accomplish the will of the legator
would cause To be done what is now done
by those who make useful inventions-they
increase knowledge-they produce knowledge
which had no existence prior to their in
venton. They also difiuse knowledge, useful
knowledge among men-but they diffuse it
for price, for value received while it is the
intention of Mr.. Smithson's will to diffuse il gra-
tuitously. But does the House bill of which we
speaking, tend to increase,knowedge by the
production of scientific inventions which did not
exist before9 Nothing of the Sort 1t is mere
patent office, collecting and safe keeping inven-
tons already invented, and knowledge already
known, and securing them under lock and key
Does the bill do any thing for any human being
out of the city of Washington No. Its a h.cus
a non fncendo, which is, being interpreted. a big
light under big bushel 1.-THE House OF Repre-
sentatives were, by legislation, to found an irst-
tuition for the increase and diffusion of news
papers, we at no loss what they would do
They would establish big reading room at Wash.
ingson, subscribe for all the newspapers published
in the world, and then sit down and read them.
That would be their idea of increasing and diff
fusing newspapers. But when the members OF
the same House set themselves to increase and
diffuse speeches, do they content themselves
with buying up all the old speeches that were
ever delivered, and having gathered them into
the library sit down and read them7 Perhap:
they do.