The daily union., 1854-10-17

fuse knowledge among the pe0pte W Use tHHed AdtSD
library would be but feeble and imperfect instrument as
active agent for that limited purpose The aocu
mutation Of books In the political centre OF great ooun
try, in the OF population OF numerous peo.
pie would doubt crafty the pride OF the nation and be
attended with profitable results But such library
would not insure mental activity to nqurers who should
live from its locality and its relation to all increase
of knowledge would be merely incidental IL would have
effective operation in the hiryone States which
stituta the nation people OF the Union and instead Of
being diusve in It's nature, would be centralzing In It's
influence and passive in its character. Even il the will
and the act of Congress limited by the sup
posed by no fair construction could the formation Of
library be considered execution OF the trust But
when consider that the language OF the will is not thus
limited and the benefits of the bequest are INTENDED
for mankind cannot imagine how the esablshnsnto
library could be considered corresponding to the
quisitions of purpose wide and liberal That Smith
did intend library to he the prominent feature
the institution contemplated by his bequest may be in
red from the fact his win did mention it, when
single word would have been sufficient for this purpose
And that Congress did not design TO indicate library
the principal object of the establishment which they found
ed by law carry out the purpose OF Smthson viii be
made appear by examination of the enactment
In the construction OF law OF Congress the opinions
expressed in the speeches of some OF those who voted for
be taken the opinion OF all or even OF the major
part of them but the act must be construed according
the general import and evident intention of all its parts
! If we can construe the law from its provisions il
would be exceedingly unsafe and improper to interpret
by reference TO the opinions OF portion only OF those
who voted Tor it, being the minor part OF them 10 do this
would be make the opinions of few control the acts and
intentions of the majority expressed in the law, and in
give those few the law making power In the
present the evident intention to carry out the pu
pose of Smithsons wil-namey the increase and difh
| sion of knowledge among men,
The title of the act, its preamble and provisions would
have been papaby absurd if their object had been only OF
chiefly found great library To describe library
an institution for the increase and diffusion of knowledge
among men,, would be preposterons abuse OF terms
100 10 erect suitable building of sufficient size with
suitable halls for the reception and arrangement
upon liberal scale of objects of natural history geoogi
cal mineralogie and botanical specimens cassed and
arranged facilitate the study Of them, with chem
cal laboratory lecturerooms &C. provided in sections
and G. is wholly inconsistent with the idea of nstiu-
| ton of which library is to be the principal agent
1t that the eighth section of the act authorizes
application of annual sum- not exceeding $4,000 for
the gradual formation of library This is in great dis
proportion to the various objects before recited in the act
and it had been mandatory would have made the general
authority and discretion given to the regents in the ninth
section absurd and nugatory, and would indeed have
equally defeated the other provisions before mentioned
Such appropriation, if made would establish great
library but not such an institution as is indicated by he
title the bl warranted by its various provisions
Instead secretary with assistants it should have
ved for librarian with assistant as secretary and as
sistan librarians Instead OF providing for building
liberal SCALE with suitable halls for chemical
laboratory eeturcrooms &c not indicating the library
of paramount Importance, but according to the order of
enumeration placing it after other objects the law would
have declared it to be of primary Importance and dcsg
mated the other objects incidental or subsidiary to the
library The act in its various terms and provisions, does
not have been the result of plans entirely harmo
nous and consistent but bears marks Of conflicting
opinions and the large discretion allowed in the ninth
section appears to have been intended to give TO the re-
the authority to reconcile and determine those d
cultes which Congress could not avoid or provide for to
their satisfaction.
Nothing however seems be clearer than that the e
gislature did intend public library to be the princ
pal instrument of the institution The third section
that the business of the institution shall be conducted at
the city of Washington by Board of Regents The
terms of mithson will required that Washington should
be the locality of the institutions but II this section had
reference to public library absorbing almost the whole
interest of the fund, would such language have been EN-
ployed a library ct Washington 70 be established
wholly unnecessary to provide that the buainess
the institution should be conducted there since the bn
ness library he conducted where 1t Is piaetd
The of this language would seem to imply active trans
actions and not to refer to books The application
25 900 annually (hvesxhs Of the whole income at the
date of the ac the purchase of books would be ncon
sstent with and subvesve Of the whole tenor of all that
precedes the eighth section Section ninth singuary
comprehensive and appears to Indicate consciousness on
the part the trainers Of the BILL that its provisions might
Il be proved by experience TO be incongruous:
For this they provided the remedy by investing the
regents with full power to their Judgment in the
premises subject only TO the purpose of ew Of Smith
son. and SO much Of the law rs was mandatory ana Pc.
remptory all other provisions to the contrary nowh'
i standing"
On the whole therefore, the committee think that neither
the law the will of Smithson required the regents to
consider great library the paramount object OF the in
stituon
lis purpose requires of exciting and sustaining
research Of stimulating and directing original inquiries
the results of which constitute increase OF knowledge
: and the publication of which diffuses it.
Scientific researches often supposed by the uninorn-
ed to be OF little real Importance; and, indeed are
frequently ridched haSren of all practical utility bu
nothing is mistaken than this The most valuable
and productive of the of life the most important and
working inventions of modern times their be-
ing and value scientific Investigations BY these have
been discovered physical truths and laws the intelligent
application of which to practical inventions has given i'm
mense benefits the world The germs of these valuable
improvements and inventions have been found and deyel
oped by scientific research the original forms of which
often seemed the many to be idle and useless as
they proposition relating to the pcndu-
which remained only theo-
retical relation ultimately furnished aunt for the stand
ard Of States and nations The discovery that
a magnetic needle could be moved by gavanic current
seemed for long time curious than useful and yet
contained the germ Of all that afterwards developed
a in the telegraph 1t has been well remarked that numer
applications and inventions always result from the dis
q covery Of scientific principle there many
, Fultons for every Franklin q
III There 10 no branch ai industrial which
for the part its improved processes To such nsega
tons, although the artisans who employ them often
ignorant of their true Smthson who was himself
. of science and research and contributor 10 the
philosophical transactions of the Royal Society," well knew
this The members OF Congress who framed the law were
moi ignorant it, aud the provisions for chemical labo
and collections OF natural history proved that they
looked the prosecution of such inquiries under the
o auspices OF the Smithsonian Institution
g Wisely therefore did the rst oarp hegenls propose
' in order 10 iHCaEAsE hNowLEpeE-s = p. 81
y First To stimulate of talent make original re
searches, by offering suitable rewards for memoirs
j. tanning truths and publish these and such other
# papers OF suitable character should be offered to the in
81 stlluton.
Second 10 cause particular researches be made by
= competent persons.
And in order to DIFFUsE KNOWLEDGE
q First. To publish occasionally series of practical