The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-11-26
SM|THSON'S REQUEST
Origin Of the Famous Smithso.
MAN institution,
THE CONTROL OF ITS FUNDS

Uncle Sans Treasury Holds Its Mon
~, Which Can Be Used Only on Ap-
preparation by consrsss-Its PeeuI-
lar Relation to the Government.
Although the name Of the Smithso-
MAN institution is q common house
hold word in America and millions
Of persons have visited the great build
ings in Washington where are stored
the contributions Of science which
| have been gathered under it's auspices.
few understand the real relation OF the
institution to the national government.
Most persons believe that it is a part
OF the government
The Smithsonian institution says the
| Washington Times, occupies a peculiar
relation to this government 1t is a
part Of 1t. and yet it is not part. Its
moneys are in the United States treas
ury and can be used only on appro-
priation by congress. and yet this
money does not belong to the govern
| ment. 1t is to the government only
as the money of a ward is to a guard
ian.
James Smithson. who contributed
the bulk Of the fund in the hands OF
the institution. was an Englishman,
the son Of a peer Of the realm. He
was man who could trace his ances-
try back to royal blood. He never Wis
tied in America and was never known
to have any particular Partially for
America until he wrote his will in
1926. He died at Genoa In 1920, and
when they opened his will this is what
they read:
II bequeathed the whole Of my prop
erty to the United States Of America
to found at Washington, under the
name of the Smithsonian institution.
an establishment for the increase and
diffusion Of knowledge among men,"
This property amounted to about
$4,000, which was in that day
princely fortune. Six years after his
death the United States legation at
London was informed that there was
about $500, 900 in the possession Of the
adjutant general Of the British court
Of chancery awaiting claimant.
Immediately there arose in America
all kinds Of opposition to the accept
ance of the money. John c. Calhoun
and William G. Preston urged with
all the fire Of their eloquence that it
was beneath the dignity Of this gov
eminent to accept such gift. BUT
John Quincy Adams and others pre-
vailed. and Richard Rush was sent to
England to prosecute the claim of this
government
He was successful, and on Sept. l,
1888. the money was delivered at the
mint in Philadelphia in the shape Of
1O4,96O gold sovereigns, which were
minted into $5OS,31s.46 in American
money.
This sum by careful management
and by additions from other charitably
inclined persons has now become about
$1,OOO.OOO. which the government keeps
and pays interest upon for the main
tenance Of the institution.
For the first eight years the money
lay in the treasury while plans were
being formulated for the permanent
establishment described by Smithson
in his will. Thousands of letters were
received, and there were schemes
enough proposed to bankrupt several
governments. Congressman debated
over this fund repeatedly. and hun
dreds of pages of the Congressional
Globe were given up to it.
The institution has been worked out
on such broad lines as to be one of
search in the world.
The board of regents is composed Of
the vice president of the United States,
the chief justice of the United States,
three United States senators, three
representatives and six citizens Of the
United States at large.
The National museum, the weather
bureau. the geological park at Wash
ington. the fisheries bureau and the
astrophysical observatory have been
developed by the institution.
The objects Of the institution, as
described by its first secretary, Joseph
Henry, have been adhered to through
the years Of it's existence. They are
to increase knowledge by original in
vestigations and study either in SCI
ence or literature and to diffuse knowl-
edge not only through the United
States. but everywhere. especially by
promoting an interchange Of thought
among those prominent III learning In
all nations. No restriction is made
in favor Of any one branch Of knowl-
edge.
The leading features Of the plan Of
Professor Henry were. in his own
words:
ITO assist men Of science in making
original researches. to publish them in
a series of volumes and to give a copy
of them to every first class library in
the world"
Books. laboratory accommodations
and apparatus have been supplied to
thousands Of Investigators throughout
the United States.
Unprineipled Wretch.
You simply cannot trust anybody"
declared the lady MY maid, whom