The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-23


the whole country, He would also appropriate
part Il the fund 10 rbe deffayIHg the expenses q
The delivery of annual lectures by our most dlsun
guished men, al different points throughout thu
country for scientific instruction.
Mr.. l. briefly gave some other general views, ap
proving decidedly the object OF the institution, aDC
warmly urging the boubden duty OF Congress Il
apply according the intentions Of Mr.. Smithson
and TO discharge the obligations imposed upon il by
The acceptance of this trust
Mr. G. w JONES modified his amendment by
inserting after the words next OF kim" the words
"or resduary legalee." a.. DE-.
Mr., STANTON next addressed the committee II
had been very generally complained Of he said tina!
great delay had taken place in the execution OF
the trust imposed upon the government in the ac'
ceptance Of the Smithsonian fund, Whether these
complaints well i'll founded, he believed the
time for action had now come, and that honor ana
good faith required the Appropriation oil thls iuna
10 It's legitimate purposes ms urgency was
strengthened. he eontended, by the possibility OF
any eollisioo tbs, might arise with Great Britain
Unlike some other gentlemen, he had been un-
able 10 bring himself TO- the conclusion, that st
this age of the world, these two great nations, 30
firmly bound together by ties OF interest and kindred
would madly rush into sanguinary conflict. But
the mere possibility Of such an occurrence constl-
tuted an additional for the prompt discharge
of our duty in the disposition Of this fund In
case of war il would be highly dshonorable for
the United States allow this fund to remain In the
treasury Of the government, to he used against
that very NATION from the liberaity and benevo-
snce Of one Of whose citizens IL had been received
ltmighi be urged that in Of war, all the obi
CATIONS between the Two nations were abrogated;
but thIs, he coDtsuded, would not be the with
the obligations Of humanity and Of justice, and self
respect. He hoped we should avoid this source Of
disgrace and that we should by no such act furnish
fresh food for the grave charges and SANDERS upon
n ,ligh
pared with which the oft-repeated charges Of faith
lessness and Reputation would be triiing.
Mr.. \. then proceeded in remarks running
through nearly the remainder Of his hour, and Of
which a report viii appear hereafter,l to give
ms yirws on the subject both with reference 10
general provisions and particular details, appaudng
The enlarged hberality and expansive philanthropy
ON the part Of MIR. Smithson, which prompted the
directing this fund 10 the establishment Of insti-
luton for the increase and diffusion OF knowledge
among men, and his wisdom in locating IL on this
republican sod; strongly advocating the propnety
and the duty, having received tins fund eight years
since OF our dschargiDg ourselves Of the obliga-
tions we had assumed, by carrying out those inten-
lions az far as could be learnt and in pointing out
some Of the invaluable advantages. which, in its
operation IL would work to the people Of this
Try the government itself, and the world al large,
DC, &c.
Mr.. SAWYER moved TO amend the bill by str
king out 'sx n in the first section, and inserting in
lieu thereof five"
There was a motion pending TO strike cut the
whole bill, and therefore this motion To amend was
In order
The ninth section not under consideration,
but when il should be- he would move to amend it
in the fourth line by inserting after the word "there
in" the following proviso:
Prord,d That such students shall be selected from the
different states and Territories OF the United States
Coring TO the ratio OF representation in Congress-
Ia, 4 A.; of
was proper He was not willing that his constitu-
ents should be sadded with so high rate Of inter-
est per cent for the people must pay it out Of
their pockets. For a permanent loan, 5 per cent
high enough.
The other amendment which he would propose
related to the regulations for the admission Of stu.
dents into the various departments Of the institution
lie proposed take the students from the different
States and Territories Of the United States accord
ing their representation in Congress- that they
shall not all be taken from Virginia Maryland, and
this District as had been the in regard to all
other appointments. Heretofore nine -tenths of all
appointments had been made from this District
and the neighborng States. Other States had been
bloted out from the vocabulary Of appointments.
There was bill before the House to do this but it
was impossible to reach It, obstacles being thrown
m the way whenever il was attempted. While we
we're passing laws for creating more public instu-
Tons it proper to make proviso that the per-
Ions benefited by it should be taken from every por
ZION of the Union, instead Of locality. With
proper notifications, he was disposed to vote for
This bill.
Mr.. P. KING had some amendments. he
said, to propose to the bill at proper time. In
establishing an institution like this for the increase
and diffusion Of knowledge among men, there
ought undoubtedly to be some arrangement for the
education of teachers. He would propose that lands
and buildings be provided for young men, to ena-
BILE them to prepare for such an education as will
ifyr ham far (1l md Tn th,ra
He proposed that persons should be received, who
by their labor, would maintain themselves. He
was DESTROYS ofpromoting the interests Of the yeo-
many Of the country--of cutivating the hand as
well as the head and heart; and he hoped prov-
sions for these objects would be made in the bill
He should move to insert in the 7th section after
the word professions " the words ''of agriculture {"
Al very large portion Of the people were agricuItur-
lists and it the most useful and interesting OBJ
iect Of pursuit He wished to provide for the use
of those who became students, lands and buildings
with view to enable them to engage in practical
agriculture. ..l ..o' Pee.
He was not disposed, at this time, to 90 into the
subject fully but he submitted that the best mode of
carrying out the objects of the donor, was to pro.
mote agricultural knowledge.
Mr.. OWEN had few words to say in reply to
the gentleman from Ohio, Mr.. SAWYER I who had
urged that the of interest should be instead of
6 per cent He would ask the committee generally,
whether in regard TO perfect gratuty-a fund
for public objects to which this government had not
contributed one cent-we ought not to be willing to
pay as large interest were ordinarily
obliged to pay on loans' Ought we not to yield
something to the object of the bequest'
1t must also be considered that by this bill, much
expense was saved TO the government Should this
plan be carried out, it would all the expenses
attending the preservation of the collections of the
exploring expedition. These could not be taken
care of without considerable expense. 1t would al
no be recolected that part of General w ash
ingon's plan in laying out this city, to extend the
public grounds from the Capitol to the Presidents
House. These grounds embraced more than one
hundred acres and should they be embellished and
improved, according to the original design, the
pense would be very great. All these expenses were
TO be betrayed by the Smithsonian institution. All
that asked the ordinary interest of six per
cent, which the government had recently been obi
ged to pay. -
In regard to the 9th section Of the BILL he would
be glad if the objections of the gentleman from Ohio
should prove to be good, and that there should be
such an overflow ofappications for admission into