Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-12-30
HISTORY OF THE SMITHSONIAN IN
sTITUTE AND ITS FOUNDER.

We find in one of our exchanges the follow
ing interesting sketch of the muniticent
founder of the Smithsonian Institute. From
this sketch it appears that the clause in Mr..
Smithsons will, creating and endowing that
great National Institution, was inserted to
cover remote contingency, rather than from
any expectation that condition of things
would arise to give efficiency to it. The sketch
is as follows:
Gone Of the Dukes of Northumberland, in
the last century, had a son, who, taking bis
mothers name, was known as Mr.. James
Smithson. He was educated at Oxford, where
he took the degree Of A. M. in 1886. be was
man of quiet, uuassuming habits, with a taste
for scientific pursuits. A small property he
inherited from his mother and an annuity set.
tied upon him by his father, enabled him TO
crafty his taste during his life. In 1877 he
was chosen member Of the Royal Society, to
whose philosophical transactions he commu-
nicated several valuable papers. He was the
associate Of many of the prominent scientific
men of England, and attained some distinction
as a chemist.
"Frugal in his habits, and prudent in his in
vestments, his competence gradually increased
| TO fortune. He had no fixed residence and
formed no family ties. The latter part OF his
| life he spent mostly on the continent. de
never visited America, and knew it only from
such reports as English travellers at that time
were accustomed TO give Of it. He drew up 6
will, by which he bequeathed his property t.
his next of kin, a nephew, for life, and to hi
| children, absolutely and forever.
"But as there was a remote possibility tina
the will might be frustrated by the death Of tn,
leeatees, saving clause was inserted provid
| ing that in such case the property shoulC
descend TO the United States Of America, Il
found at Washington under the name of thu
| Smithsonian Institution, an establishment 70
the increase and diffusion Of knowledge amonJ
men,. II contemplated distant contingenc,
only, and probably was not inserted from an.
fixed plan, or from any confident expectation
of its being carried out
at so happened, however, that the distan
contingency occurred. Mr.. Smithson died a
Genoa in 1920, leaving property to the amour
of gl2O000 sterling. His nephew died with
out issue, five or six years after, at Pisa.
"The United States were then, for the srs
time notified of the bequest which had falle
TO them. Congress Immediately passed a La
authorizing the President 10 appoint an agen
TO apply to the English Court of Chancery 70
: the real and personal estate of James Smith
son, and pledged the faith of the government
for the application of the fund for the purpos
speci6ed. Hon. Richard Rush, Of Philade
phia, was accordingly appointed agent wer
out TO England, obtained the property, an
I paid It into the Treasury of the United State
in September, 1893.
alt was invested, by order ofCongress, in Al
kansas stocks. Here it had another Mario
chance Of being lost For Arkansas stocl
soon began TO go down-down--down, an
Q shortly became worth about as much as Ind
. ana bank bills are now. But Congress, thin
!. ing it but right to repair the consequences
it's own error, assumed the stocks at par valu
and reinvested the amount in the United Stat
Skies.
n "There was no family 70 take or claim u
}. household effects, and what were not sold We
sent to America, The vister at the Pate