The daily union., 1854-10-17

has been acquired by purchase exchanges and other means
containing many and valuable works pertaining 10
all branches of knowledge such to be found in
general libraries and are most highly priced by men OF
/ science and research
This is a very good beginning, according to the plan
for the gradual formation of library which the act points
out
/ OF the entire amount expended from the commencement
oil the institution little less than oneeghth has been
given TO researches and publications The rest has been
applied TO the special objects mentioned in the act and to
| the general expenses of the institution
! In the act establishing the institution Congress
fully and wisely torbore 10 fix the proportion
of the annual income which should be appropriated
of the objects mentioned in the fifth section They did not
determine or limit the which should be expended
the building, have they in any indicated
that prominence should be given any particular means
or nsrumentaity for increasing and dusing knowledge
All this they have left 10 the discretion of the regents
TO whom they intrusted the conduct of the institution.
They have indeed declared that annual appropriations
should be made for the gradual formation of library and
have provided that such appropriations shall not exceed
! $4,000 in the average.
! This is nothing but Limitation upon the discretion of
the regents and by rule of construction be consd
cred intmang the desire of Congress that such sum
should be annually appropriated The limitation while
prevented the regents from exceeding that left Them
full discretion to any amount within the limit The
interest the Smithsonian fund about $4,000 per
annum and Congress could not but know that an appro-
priaon of 6ve-sixths of that amount per would
leave remainder entirely insufficient to deay the salaries
and ordinary expenses of institution such AS was de-
signed by the act and that nothing would be left for the
of collections the lectures and other Of pro-
noting the purpose of the tesato In short the act points
out certain nstrumenalties be employed in the
ton of the created by and for the purposes specified
in the will Smhson and gives the managers regents
authority dispose of all the income required for the
purposes specified in the act in such manner they shall
deem best suited for the promotion of the purpose OF the
estator. As Congress did not determine what portion OF
the income TO be applied to the purposes specified in
the act it follows that such determination is to be made
by those whom they ntrusted the conduct Of the bus
ness of the nsttuon and thus the regents clearly
invested with the power Of determining how much of
that income is required respectively for library for
section and what disposition they will make OF so much
of the income they do not think requisite TO apply to
these objects So the regents of ls4T, who adopted the
plan of organization understood the law they reported
to Congress The Board Of Regents however its members
have been changed from time to time have always so u
derstood it and Congress- to whom they have annually
and faithfully reported their proceedings, have never que
toned the proprcty of the construction.
/ In organizing the institution different opinions indeed,
entertained by different members of the board as 10
the most efectua promotng the purpose of Smith
The conflict of opinions resulted in the adoption OF
certain resolutions which have been called the compro-
mise resolutions These while they recognise the inte-
ton of Congress and the duty of the regents to provide for
the accumulation of specimens of art and objects OF natu-
raj history and the gradual formation OF library per-
tanning all branches of knowledge &c. also declare it
TO be eYpedient and demanded by the will Of Smithson
that in the plan of organization the increase of knowledge
by original research should form essential feature that
for this end premiums should be offered for original papers
containing positive additions to the sum of human knowl
edge and that these and other suitable papers should be
published in transactions Of the institution, periodically
occasionally &c The seventh of these resolutions Is in
these words;
Resolued That for the purpose of carrying into effect the
principal modes of executing the act and trust pointed
out in the resolutions herewith submitted the permanent ap
preparations of the accruing interest shall as N
buildings completed. be annually as olowsthat is tt
Ist For the formation of library composed of valuable
works pertaining all departments OF useful knowledge, and
the procuring arranging and preserving of the various
collections of the institution well of natural history ano
objects foreign and curious research and of elegant art
others including salaries end al other general
connected with the excepting those q the first com
of ph
belong the United States in the of the institution
Completed together with onehalf of the salary of the
: secretary, the of fifteen thousand dollars.
ed For the preparation and publication of transactions
reports and all other publications of the institution, in
cung appropriations for original researches and premiums
original papers, for the delivery of all lectures and pay
of all lecturers and for all general expenses connected
with said lectures and publications. together with one half
the of the secretary the remainder of the annually
accrug interests it being understood that all general ane
incidental expenses specially connected with either OF the
great divisions of the plan of the institution shal
f be equally divided between them
twill be seen that this division of the income OF the in
siituon between the two principal modes Of executing th
trust to be made SO soon as he bdgs 'cere cop'
s pleted" and not before
As the building Is not completed this division is ye
obligatory under the compromise resolutions For som
years the annual appropriations for the purposes of the in
s,itution specific, and applied accordingly Bu
during the last years they have been general and
discretion been exercised by the secretary and the
ecutive committee which has resulted in applying to re
searches publications and lectures an amount somewha
larger than that which has been applied to the library mu
scum, &c But this il clearly ne voaiqn, al has beer
charged of compromise which not BY lis Very terms
to go into effect until the completion of the building
j. The committee think ii desirable that the appropriation
should be specific and have already reported TO th
board by resolution submitted the llth OF March
IS 1854 and the last meeting of the regents the executive
>, committee submitted estimates OF appropriations IN deai
/ for the present year.
Before expressing opinion on these resotntlons thu
committee deem it their duty at this time to remark upor
the plan which discussed years ago but which
now revived of deyong the greater part OF the income
e to the accumulation of great library mus either aDan
donng the active operations of research and publications
Il restricting this means OF increasing and dhSp@
o knowledge as TO deprive it of all sensible value.
1t has already been remarked that the language OF th
,f eighth section which directs the gradual formation OF
library mandatory the amount which shall b
thus expended and that the ninth section authorizes thu
q regents after applying much OF the income rs may b
II required ol the purposes mentioned IN the act TO dspo
of the residue of the interest upan the Smithsonian fund
such as they shall deem best suited for the promo
ton of the OF the estaor anything bereln con
,f tanned to the contrary Notwithstanding II manifest
from what has been said before that these sections OF TN
law leave 10 the regents large discretion as TO tn
amounts be applied to the objects speched in he act
and in the choice of other for promoting the pur
n pose of the tesator
If What then the considerations which should govern
them in rejecting this pan which proposes great library
as the beet chief ii not the only, means OF executing
Z the trust created by the viii Of SmAsop end fulfilling
IS their own duty Under the law
t. The oincrease aud diffusion of knowledge among men
are the great purposes of this municent trust To in
crease knowledge implies research, and active IN
Is vestiqation in or more OF the departments
learning To dfuse knowledge among implies acty
measures for its distribution far may be among
l. mankind
1t Neither of these purposes could be accomplished or ma