New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-01-19
THE SMITHSONIAN ms rITUTION.
MIR CHOATE'n RESIGNATION

To the Bright Pye'ieeatp,o tmpO'e re Senate
and ne Hon Linn boys' sPeaSeT u ne h'H's " hfPes''
Itaie leave to communicate to the two House, OF
Congrtss my rtsiensiion OF the oihce OF Regent o.
the Smithsonian Institution.
Its due to the body which has been plea sed to
homer NE with this trust for some years aud has r.
Gently Conferred il for Lew term, 10 Say that tor
step is taken IO from any ss OF interest 10 ;hs vel
fare of hat important establlshme-t Out, 10 part,
from The iDconv enience exper need 10 atendos the
meeiirgs and in part, also and more lnmsda ely,
foIn ny inability to CONCUR or ac4u.sce III An IN e.
prestion OF The act Of Congress The 40 us
Inst tuition and tn Boad of Regeuts which mas been
ADOPTED, and is about to be practically carried
into admins alton by majority Of toe BJttd Ta4.
oct, il as seemei 10 me, perenptorily directs
"n,anrer" and oevises and pre-cribe- plln ac-
cordpg 10 which it intends that tue Institution sd4
accom- Iish the will Of the donor. b. the earlier lig
accepting the gift Congress engaged Il direct such
manner Al d to devise such plan, aud pledged the
faith of the U6Ited States that the funds suD aid be
applied according TO such plan aud such manner.
Ia fulfmeLt of That pledge, and III pefformau Of
that inb nable and incommunicabie duty a. trustee
of the charity. tbat BODY, after many years of
del STOP from which il never sought to
heve itself BY devoviDg the work up)n the
discretion of Others, matured is plan, aud estab
lished the actual Institution TO carry it ont. OF
this plan the general features sketchec with great
clesrpess and great completeness in tue Law. With
out resortiDe for aid IN its Interpretation to It's pars
menfary history the journals and DE- bates the SUB
sianiia meaning seems TO be palpabe aud uneqalv0-
cal in It's ferns BY sgcb aid II l. rendered quite
certain. Board OF Regents Is created 10 administer
il. Son Discretionary p"wers, oil course, are gwen
10 the Board IN regard Of details, and IN regard OF
possible sprplusos Of income, which may remain at
any given time while the plan Of CO0gre Is beng
z.alousy and juoioousb carried in'o elect bat
these Discretionary powers are given, think III trust
K the plan Of Congress and as auAiary to- cOop5ra'
tive with and ex6cutOry Of il. They "ere given Tor
the fake Of tho plan, simply 10 enably the Regents
the more eiectualy aud truly 10 sdmDlset THAI very
one-nOt 10 enable them 10 devise and administer
another Of their Own, uDauho zed IL the terms ~ the
law Incompatible with iis announced objects and ~
full deyeol ments not alluded 10 in Il ans where and
which az the journals and the debsiee INFORM u,
when presenied to the House under specac PROPOSE
tiODs, was rejected
OF this sct an Interpretation hes DOW been adopted,
by which IL has seemed 10 me these Discretionary
means Of carving the will OF Congress into effect
are transformed iuto OF practically ds4pPoint-
ing that will ard Of building up an Institution sub
staItiay unlike that which II intended, which super
std.s and places It, and In effect r.peals toe 'F
Diereuces Of opibion h4d eXntet 10 the Board from
its frst meeting in regard to the sdninisrstDn OF
the act; but they were composed By resolution Of
compromise, according 10 which full hall tne Az
uua II on. to b. eventually applied IN perni
n.nce o. what 0eem the esseD'isi parts OF the plan
Of Congress. That resolution Of compro niss u DOW
formally rescinded, and heuceiDrwsrd the discretion
of the Regents and not the act of Congre.s Is TO be-
the rule Of Appropriations aud that discretion has a.
ready declared itself for another plan than Whist
deem the plan Of Congress. IL may be added INST
under the same Interpretation, the otce and pos-rs
Of Secretsfy are fundamentally changed from those
Of the Secretary Of the 10" a. | read It. and are
greatly enlarged
10 this Interpretation oanno, ssquissce; and with
entire respect for the majority Of the Board, aud
with much kindness and regard to sll i's members
am that my duty requires respectful tender oil
resignation. I make 1t accordingly and sm
Your obeshsst ssrvsnt. RUFUS ChoAIb'