Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-07-16
The Smithsonian Institute.

tett1genCer, induces us 10 remark tnaC we
believe that the great fault in the consti-
tuition of this establishment is that it's
members and regents are selected chief
ly from those high officers of State on
whom the pressure of public duties is SO
great that they have little time to devote
to it's concerns. Hence the active man
agement devolves on one man, the Sec
rotary. -e. e-.-..rj 9c
The article in the National Intelhgeneer,
though not written by him, or at his die
tation, expresses, on many points, his
sentiments. In proportion to the amount
of money invested in buildings, books and
apparatus, and the amount annually paid
for salaries, no institution in the country
really accomplishes as little good as the
Smithsonian. E4...
There is library there of 1000 vol
umes and IL 900 pamphlets, and $50 pc
riodicals are there taken. But it is open
at such hours only, that neither the Clerks
in the Departments, nor other business men
of the city, can make use of it. Neither
is any one allowed to take a book from it,
though the books might be loaned with
perfect security, if deposits Of money to
double their value were made, as is done
in the Libraries in some other cities.
There is a museum there, also, but it is
so arranged that nobody can see it. DR..
Hare, of Philadelphia, made the Institute
present of his valuable philosophical
and chemical apparatus, worth, it is said,
$4,000; but no use is made of it, or of
the costly apparatus which has been pur-
chased with the fund of the institution.
There are lectures delivered there, but
they ARE, for the most part, on subjects
which can be better learned from books;
while lectures on those branches of natur-
al philosophy which require experiments
for their illustration are for the most part
neglected.
The published volumes of the Institute
are we'll enough in their way, being about
on par with the transaction" of learned
societies. But even in this way, during
the time the Institute has been in opera
ton, more has been done by Silliman's
Journal, in diffusing scientific informa-
ton, though that is an enterprise sup
ported entirely by private funds.
The plan of the Institute in aiding me-
THEOLOGICAL observations in different parts
of the country, &C., is all very well; but
all this can be done without in the least
diminishing it's efficiency in the city of
Washington.
There IS library, and that library
should be. placed under such regulations
as to be made generally useful. There
are lectures delivered, and these lectures
should not be on subjects which can be
more conveniently learned from books !;
but on subjects which require apparatus
and experiment for their illustration. 1t
is a mistake to suppose that Smithson's
money founded the Institute. That mo-
| ney was loaned to the State of Arkansas,
and every cent of it has been lost. In
place of this money, Congress has sup
piled other money; and as it is public mo-
| ney that supports the Institute, the man
ner in which this money is applied is the
proper subject of public criticism. The
Institute is not, as some seem to suppose,
the private property of the Secretary and
his assistants. Not only have Congress
furnished money, and not only has DR..
Hare given valuable apparatus, but ev-
cry author and publisher who takes out a
copyright is obliged to send a copy of his
work to the Institute. Under these cir
cumstances, it seems hard that the libra
~ should be placed under such regula-
tons as that but few can use it, though
not more hard than that the lecture-room
should be place of display for sectarian
ministers on half-clerical topics, and actu-
ally for silly old women, instead of being
place for teaching the natural sciences.
| y .i.
-. The Brieklayers. a..
The strike of the bricklayers recently