Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1910-01-06
SMITHSON'S REQUEST
Origin of the Famous Smithso-
nian Institution.
THE CONTROL OF ITS FUNDS.

| SHN'o 0afU . lEoAabTl VNoios us MoH-
sy, Which Can Be Used Only on Ap.
preparation by consress-lts Pecul.
/ lar Relation TO the Government.
Although the name Of the SmlthsO.
nian Institution Is IA common house
bold word In America and millions
Of persons have visited the great build
tngs In Washington where are stored
the contributions OF science which
have been gathered under its auspices,
| few understand the real relation OF the
institution TO the national government.
Most persons believe that It ~ part
OF the government
The Smithsonian institution. says the
WashingtOu Times, occupies a peculiar
relation to this government. IL IN o
part OF II, and yet 1t Is not a part. Its
moneys are 10 the United States treas
ury and can bs used only on appre-
pria1on by congress-, and yet this
money does not belong to the govern
ment 1t Is to the government only
as the money OF ward Is to a guard.
ian.
James Smith5on who contributed
the bulk Of the fund In the hands OF
the institution. vas an Englishman,
the son Of peer OF the realm. He
was a 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 partiality fcs
America until he wrote his will In
1925 He died at Genoa tn 1929. and
when they opened his viii this is what
they read:
II bequeathed the whole Of my prop
erty to the United States OF America
10 found at Washington, under the
name OF the Smithsoniau institution.
an establishment for the increase and
SSfrusiOo OF knowledge among men"
This property amounted to about
100000, which was In tnmt day a
prtnRely fortune. Six years SITTER his
death tine United States; legation at
London was Informed that there was
about $500, o,oO0 In the possession OF the
adjutaDt general OF the British court
OF cnRncery awaiting claimant
Immediately there arose in! America
all kinds Of opposition to the Sceept-
ance' OF the money. John C. Calhoun
and william c. Preston urged with
all the. fire OF their eloduence' that II
was. beneath the dignity OF this gov,
ernmsur TO nccept such a gift Bat
John Quincy Adams and others pre-
vailed. and Rehard Rush was sent to
England 10 pvuSecute the claim os this
government!
He was successful. ,and on Sepa- I.
1898. the. MONEY was delivered Nc the
mint I'M PhilBfelphia In the shape OF
104, 800 gold sovereigns, which, we're
minted, into $5OS,3lS46 In American
money.
This sum By careful management
and by additions from other charfrHbly
Inclined. persons has now become'about
81, 10000 wffch 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 20 be one OF
the greatest forces in scieutihc re-
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 aud 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 its existence. They are
to increase knowledge by original in.
vestigadpns and study either in sci
ence or literature and TO ditfuse knOwl
edge nos only through the United
States, Tut everywhere, especially by
promoting an interchange Of thought
among taose prominent in learning in
all natiLns. No restriction is made
in favor Of any one branch Of Snowl-
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 copy
Of theSn to every first class library in
the world
Books, laboratory accommodations
and apparatus have been supplied to
thousands OF Investigators throughout
the Upited States.