Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-05-02
Senate Bill No. 5G2.
Robbery! S2,4G9, 659.H.
New York Journal.

New I Ork Journal
Washington, May This is a
story OF pillage and plumber; tale
common enough in the annals OF Wash
ington. In short. il is drama wherein
the good Smithson casts his bread on
the far away waters OF sixty years ago
Arkansas performs as the bunco sharp,
and the government as the guileless up
countryman. This is the story, in plain
simplicity:
James Smithson. Briton, F. r. s., died
in Genet. June q. 1929. He was son
by the left hand OF the first Duke oil
Northum berland, and wore the arms oil
that high house with the bar sinister
added. He was man of refined, even
elegant elevation. educated TO feather
edge and reputed the first chemist OF
Furope. He was not married, and with
TIE black OF illegitimacy upon his brow
b, lived an English Ishmael. claiming
ne.ther kith nor kin. lncidentlly, ne
vas worth $500. 900. fat fortune OF that
day. and dying Smithson left it to the
United States. a land he had never VS.
tied. and where. so far as is known, no
friend Of Smithson moved or had his
being. The bequest read as follows;
Il beQueath the whole Of my property
10 the United States Of America. TO
found at washington. under the name
OF the Smithsonian Institute, an estab-
lishment for the increase and dlnuslon
OF knowledge among men.
Andrew Jackson. President, brought
- h. oil - ThQrp
was much hicker over 1t. Some there
were who deemed 1t beneath the ma
tion's dignity to accept. Others were
not so delicate. November, 1886, bill
was filed in the name Of the President
OF the United States, in the English
Court OF Chaneery. wherein 1t was
prayed that the hequest be carried out
and the gold be delivered over. A de-
cree was made granting the prayer. the
British judges advancing the case on
the docket so as to bring an end AT
once The money was paid over in
golden soyereigns. and, packed IN
eleven boxes. arrived In New York City
July II. 1888. to the care of the treasurer
OF this country.
Smithson's money. $500, 900. was now
here. What disposition should re
made of il? First and last, the invest
ment Of this money involved list OF
national celebrities. John Quincy
Adams was much disturbed. He wrote
in his diary at that time:
MY mind is filed with anxiety and
apprehension lest the fund (Smithson' s
bequest) should be squandered upon
cormOrants or wasted upon electioneer-
ing bribery"
II would seem that j. Q. A. albeit no
seventh son Of a seventh son, in these
apprehensions was dashed a bit with
the power Of prophecy.
II was proposed TO invest the $780,
600 In good State bonds and devote the
interest TO the Smithson purpose.
There was a debate Of many Gays. Such
men as John Quincy Adams. Allen
Thurman. Jefferson Davis. Andrew
Jackson. Rufus Choate. Robert ]. Walk
er. John j. Crittenden. Hannibal Ham,
lin. Stephen A. Douglas. Alexander Fl.
Stephens. John c. Calhoun, Tom Ben
ton and Daniel Webster took part.
II was decided TO buy bonds. Adver-
tisement was made and many bids put
Washington banker. and founder of the
Corcoran Gallery Of Art. representing
the State of Arkansas, made an offer for
the whole money and got It, The gov
eminent took a bundle of Arkansas
bonds and turned over the entire $500.
900 10 that Hungry Joe OF a State. The
government took the bonds; Arkansas
took the Smithson bequest. To-day. as
this is read the bonds. every one of
them, with never a coupon cut or dis
turbed. lie in the treasury building at
Washington. Arkansas has never paid
a dollar. principal or interest. Nor
does she intend 10. The whole amount
which Arkansas owes the Smithsonian
comes now to be over two millions of
dollars. And 1t is through Senate bill
No. SOP. which measure has already
passed the Senate and is now on the
road to a vote in the House. that Arkan-
sas aims TO cheat herself free of this
claim. Now. about Senate bill No. 500:
Congress was persuaded in 1850 TO pass
a swamp land act. IN which all the States
having swamp and overlooked lands were
granted the same that they might reclaim
them. As years rolled by and enterprsing
thieves began TO appreciate the situation.
Il was discovered by these same sharp folk
that the United States had disposed OF
great areas OF swamp lands to pioneers.
A cash indemnity &c; was rushed through
Congress. ana harpies began loot.Eg the
Treasury.
Millions of these claims were allowed and
paid and paid over again: and they con-
tinue 20 he paid and repaid till this day.
though FIVE and forty years have passed
since the swamp land grant was made.
Yet millions have been rejected and are
still being rejected. and prominent among
them are claims from the State Of Arkan-
sas
The credit OF the State of Arkansas IS
not so good as Il was. and lis statesmen
= rard On tha