New-York daily tribune., 1854-08-31


FIaneis Markoe, Jr., hec -.'...''.-."
Dr. Pickering, had. .....'..-.''.....--'-'-
Necessary tc choice. -..-.--'-''' '''-'-'
So much for Reubens' first charge lie goes on
"a say "Mr Jewett failing iD obtaining the secretary
"shp, succeeded in obtaining secondary pace ala
.vat apuoin.ed by Professor Henry as assis'ant 90
cyetat az there was nothing for him % 90 as Libra
ri,p Reuben" here holds out the idea that Pro-
s,.or Jewett received his appointment from Professor
Henry in such msDber as to lay bn unoer oougatons
a. tb Secretary sn to render II ngrattnde IN him to
complain of any subsequent cob0uct VI '"o
hcwever unjust or Illegal
The following is the record O Professor 5ewett
election. Vide Senate Doc. 2ii, xxIXth Cong "a
Mi Iiad offered the following resolutions which
ver6 read and tfer debate were agreed to:
E,.grrd 1hs, the salary OF tue Assistant Secretary
seibg LIB shall bet~o thoasSnd aolars
IesIred That the Secretary be requested now to nom
mate 10 he Board assistant, toh9 st0A De me iof.]
and wIose salay shall commence whenever the building
Ia ready for the reception of the library -
ISoira ina: for any service rendered from this time
in collecting books, mai ing catalogues &C. ne sha re-
eeiye suck compensation rs the Executive Committee
"sy yS, mon The Secretary remarked that understand
ING P,of Cas C. Jewett Of Brown Unversity TO be the
Lss,rc ce Of majority of The Board, he therefore pom
toi.d Chas c. Jewett for Assistant Secretary acuog
AZ Lib erian Of The Smithsonian Institution:
mil Evans oe cd the following resolution, which wac
Resolrd That this Board approve the nomination Of
Charles C. Jewet and consent TO his employment as AZ
'ei,fapt Secretary, "a act "a Librarian.
We see then that Mr.. Henry nominated an Assistant
Secretary to act Librarian, because the Board re-
gured Lin to do so and that he nominated Mr. Jewett
be,sue he understood that Mr. Jewettwas the choice
Of a majority of the Board.
But Reuben " adds" he was appointed by Prof.
"Henry as assistant Sesretary as there was nothing
"foi him TO do as Librarian.
will be Observed that Mr.. Jewett, though in the
language Of the act his title is Assistant Secretary
was elected for the specific purpose OF acting as LII
"brarian." In the manner also the treasurer s
STYLED Assistant Secretary"
But there was nothing for him to do as Librarian.
Let us see if this be The next day after Prof.
Henry was elected Secretary, and before he had ac-
eepttd the Office .ibe Board OF Regents considered the
question how much of the $25, 600 named in the act,
as the highest average annual expenditure for the
library, should be for The present devoted to that pur.
pose and they liked the appropriation for the present
at S2C,C exclusive OF the salary of librarian or
librarians, vide journal, page 25.l They voted
further, that the portion OF the building to be tor me
present set spar for the library should he of sufficient
ear acty to contain not less than hundred thousand
volun ss, and be capable of extension. They also
be recommended TO the Secretary forthwith to en-
poy subject 10 the approval of the Board OF Regents
an Assistant Secretary, well qualified to discharge the
duties Of Librarian and appointed Committee to pre-
pare s1iended lists Of looks 10 be first purchased.
Now, submit that there was something for libra
rian TO do unless indeed the Secretary predeter-
mined TO disregard the expressed will of the Regents
N the matter.
the 6rst Regents at at their early meetings OF the du
ties ipofed upon them by the law of Congress which
created them. Ii was at this time, az "Renten
asserts that the construction Of the law was discusseu
and settled And it was settled as we nave seen. u
accordance with the letter aud the spirit of the act o
Congress.
But Prof Henry accepted the Socretaryship, and
presety proposed other plans, Of publications and rC
searskes plans which had been previously pToposed -
and rejected by Congress, and for which the Charter
affords 10 authority Some supported, otherb 0p-
posed these new plans. At length, to prevent conten
tons it was agreed (wheth,r such an agreement was
legal or not | need not now diseuss) TO divide the
wlole income Of the Institution equally between the
Library and the Museum the one side, aud Prof
Henry's plans the other. Thus the question wa'
again settled, as was hoped and both parties were
sathfed This settlement Ia called the "Compro
mise" To this Prof Henry solemnly agreed, and
till lately has claimed shat he had faithfully executed it.
The present controversy commenced by formal prop
osition fl ON Prof Henr, to annul this compromise
and 10 nabe the Library merely subsidiary to his plans
and this il the question now at issue, viz: whethcrth,
con promise shall be annulled 1t has not been actet
On, Ior discussed before the Board OF Regents, bu
laid till their next meeting IN January 1850
Now is at this junciure while the friends OF the Ii
brary all over the country are raying once more TO
Its defense that their representative Is suddenly an'
without delicaey, or courtesy or Justice aud even II
utter disregard OF the regulations framed by Con
grtst-it is at this critical moment aud in this man
ner that he is dismissed by the Secretary from his po
siton Of responsibility and usefulness; and to adj
ipsult to injury, the world is informed that thi
Smithsonian controversy personal quarrel betwee
tie Secretary aud Mr.. Jewett The friends of th
LibIaiy are rot thus TO be put down. They will no
brock the indignity. Truth justice, law will yet tr
nnlh. Reuben" thus aludes to Mr.. Jswett'
removal Z" OF course, when the Regents and their Sc
"le Committee, who had thoroughly inv nvestigated tn
'whoe affair, decided thatthe secretarys course Ia
"tten perfectly legal ard proper, they recommends
"the dismissal OF NJ Jewett, and this has bee
"done." And here as usual our author draws largel
upon his imagination for his facts. The Regents hsv
not invest gated the matter; they have not decide
that the Seeretarys course was legal and proper O
otheiw,e; they have net recommended the dismiss
Of Prof. Jewett.
Reuben" proceeds However, his salary did N,
icon neKee immediately, but for special priyai
"resttns was allowed very soon"
MIR. Jewett was appointed Jan. 20, IS47. II
salary commenced Jan I, ls49 nearly two years afte
ward. The resolution is as follows House of n
yresentGtires, Misc. Doc No. AZ, 30h Congress,
Sessicn, p. l0.1 Jan. 6, ls49.
"On motion Of Mr.. Blanche, it was
ReoIced That the discharge Of the duties assigne
10 the Assistant Secretary, acting as Librarian,
such 6s give entire employment 10 his time, he ieceiv
nom The lst instant the fall compensation provided
tLv Re solution Of the Board, adopted Jan. 20 is47.
After the lapse Of nearly two years from his a
pontmeDt Mr.. Bache did not offer special priva'
s reasons for beginning to pay the Librarians salai
% "yery soon," but the good public reason that h
duties required his whole time
Again "Reuben" says: 4" It would hardly be b
"lieved yet such is the fact that in the six years
has been Librarian he has never prepared a con
"plete list of books in the library, nor even lis
without saying anything Of full and compreheDsI'
catalogue"
New We know, and any may certify himself {
tie fact By personal inspection, that there is con
plete rtcoid Of al books u the Library which al