The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-02-05
BY TIL K MAILS.


ment at tn time the cars left--5 o'clock.
-
By THE MAILS.
WAsHISoros, Feb ;, ls47.
The Smithsonisn InstituteThe Three Millions .4ppro
priation Bili-Newspaper Wars
The constitution of the United States prohibiting
bsrs of Congress from holding any civil Office under the
government during their membership. q question has
arisen to the legality and validity Of the acts Of the
Regents Of the Smithsonian Institute several of them
being members Of Congress 1t 10 commended that the
Regency s civil once under the govs rnment, and
sequently cannot be held its duties discharged by
member Of Congress- The question has been laid before
ofthe associate judges of the Supreme Court Of the
United States by prominent member Of the Board OF
Regents The opinion of the learned Judge given nfor
may is strongly In favor of the validity of the acts Of
the Board of Regents present constituted His de
cson is based upon precedent in the construct OF the
law The constitution Of the State Of New York de-
clares that judges of the Supreme Court shall hold
Office Of emoument trust and there judges Of
the Supreme Court who are Regents Of Union College
and other learned institutions Whether their right to
be SO has been questioned am not prepared to
say.
great deal of fault has been found with the Regents
various pretences am Inclined to believe, without
foundation not prepared endorse all their actions
and selections, neither would arrogate TO ysel the
province of without understa ndng the
by which they have been guided. II has been charged
upon them that undue favor was shown to Mr..
Renwick, the successful designer of a plan Of
the ed6cs but the explanation given by the Regents
entirely refues the accusation II that proposals
issued inviting all who chose to enter into compe
tton to send plans according their TASTE the merits
of which plans to be decided by the building
mitee Of the Board. number Of plans sent in
among others, one by Mr. Renwick Of New York which
pleased the committee best They, however, struck out
ornaments and made trifing alterations in
its dimensions They affirm that in any of these alsra.
tons they did not in the slightest degree borrow from
any other plan submitted to them, has been charged
upon them. II happened, moreover, that Mr.. Renwck
was the only cOmpe itor who exactly complied with the
requirements of the committee in vanishing his plan,
and this exacttude doubt. in degree, disposed
the committee in his favor. His plan, presented
to the committee the best; and after adopting it,
they insist they had right make such alterations in
ii as to them seemed At.
Mr.. Rsnwic plan is of the later Norman style of
chitecture, and is highly ornamental, without being
meretricious extIavegant.
The annual expenditure OF the Institute will amount
hrty thousand dollars thousand to be dc
voted to the collection Of books works of art scientific
experiments and to giving the odce the character OF
grand national depot Of literature SCIENCE and artthe
remaining sixteen thousand to be expended in the diu.
sion, throughouthe country, of useful knowledge by
the most practicable means such cheap
lectures &c. This arrangement is the result Of
promise between conflicting opinions in the Doard-one
patty being DESTROYS Of giving the Institute the charac-
ter Of solid national establishment combining all or
most Of the expenditures to its immediate locality, and
the other of making the expenditures more ffusive.
The library is to be supplemental one-that is il is
TO contain such works not to be found any other
library in the country. Catalogues Of oil the libraries
in the Union be obtained and whatever branches
of knowledge found to be deficient in those libraries
are be first selected and afterwards a classified ex
tension of the various collections is to be made tina
whatever works not to be found any tho varou
literary and collegiate institutions throughout the
try, may DO procured at the Institution Catalogues
ALSO of the various European Libraries are to be OBJ
tained and thus the Librarian, applied to for any work
it be not in the Institutes collection, direct the
applicant in what home foreign library il may be
found, and being in communication h foreign libra.
ries will be able borrow copies Of works tho
curious student
Mr. SEWER gave Official announc omen in his place
in the Senate yesterday, Of fact which stated
month ago, namely, that the administration does
template the annexation Of moro Mexican territory than
California and New Mexico trust the three millions
appropriation bill will be passed at Its considera
ten will be resumed in the Senate tomorrow but sup.
pose there will be long discussion Of the war aud the
policy Of the administration.
There is an amusing war In progress between tho RI
val firms Of Blair and Rives and Richie and TIess in
relation to the Congressional reports Hess accusing the
Globe OF plsgisrizng from the Union reports for
the Congressional Globe and Rves reorng tho charge
Of plagiarism, and accusing the new firm of being in
debted to himself and partner The contest is yet
confined TO tho juniors Of either firm the seniors keen
ing doubtless in reserve Tor the heavy 6ghnR If it
shoud come 20 that The affair Is extremely amusing
There is another war in progress between the Union
and fnteigen concerning toe opinions OF the London
Tinss the merits Of those of whom they ara the 10
spective champions Mr. Polk the one side and Mr.
Webster the other The Uni quotes the Tins
against MIR. Webster. and the fntLigeroer quotes II
against Mr. Polk. Both estop themselves from giving
the great London journal In evidence in behalf Of thrr
respective clients for it is maxim in law IL
portion OF document IL adm in evidence the
tire must DO read and submitted 10 the Jury toe oppo
site party having right to uss it What then is The
use of quoting the London Tmsi That journal IL not
infsllbc and least oil all should be looked up to as
the exponent of sound American docine either on The
subject OF the war; the financial policy OF the 20
vernment Neither IL Mr.. Webster nor Mr. Polk 10 be
measured by its standard. OALVlENsis
WAsHrSsroS, Feb. ., ls47.