no Afcuwj'ial of George Brozc'Ji Goode. 



tioii was reported, June 6, 1844, by the Committee on the Library, through 

 Senator Tappan , which , before it was finally brought to a vote , was brought 

 into a form somewhat resembling that which finally was adopted. It pro- 

 vided, however, for the appointment of various professors and lecturers 

 for a school of agricultural and mechanical arts, as well as for experimental 

 gardens, a library of science and economics, and a museum. 



The museum clause of this bill was much the same as that finally agreed 

 to, and contained a provision that the natural-history objects and geolog- 

 ical and mineralogical specimens belonging to the United States, ' ' in 

 whosesoever custody the vSame maybe," should be transferred to the 

 custody of the board of managers of the Smithsonian Institution. 



This was evidently worded with the purpose of withdrawing from the 

 possession of the National Institution the various collections, including 

 those which had belonged to Smithson, which had fallen into the hands 

 of that society between 1840 and 1845. Indeed, the National Institution 

 seems to have already become the object of some distrust and prejudice. 

 A proposition that two of the seven ' ' managers ' ' not ex-ofiicio members 

 of the board should be selected from the membership of the National Insti- 

 tution caused a vigorous debate in the Senate, in the course of which at 

 least two Senators objected strongly to placing the administration of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, even to so slight a degree as this, in the hands 

 of a private corporation. 



The act finally passed the Senate, but was not acted on by the House. 



In connection with Mr. Tappan 's bill, in January, 1845, Senator Choate, 

 of MassachUvSetts, first appeared in advocacy of the establishment of a 

 great library, and delivered his famous oration upon the influence of 

 books. The amendment at that time proposed, together with the amend- 

 ments urged by Mr. George P. Marsh, in connection with the Owen-Hough 

 bill, brought forward in the following session, had a great influence upon 

 the final adjustment of the plan of administration.' 



To the Twenty-ninth Congress ( 1 845-1 847) belongs the honor of finally 

 formulating the act of incorporation by which the Smithsonian Institution 

 was established. 



This was done through Robert Dale Owen, of Indiana, who reported 

 the bill nearly in its final form. John Quincy Adams was a member of 

 the .select committee to whom it was referred, together with Mr. Owen, 

 chairman, Mr. Jenkins, Mr. George P. Marsh, Mr. Alexander D. Sims, 

 Mr. Jefferson Davis, and Mr. Wilniot. 



Mr. Adams was now for the first time willing to omit his advocacy of 

 a Smithsonian Astronomical Observatory, the Naval Observatory having 

 now been organized, and being, as Mr. Owen remarked, ' ' at least equal 

 in everything but the experience of its observers to the Royal Observa- 

 tory at Greenwich." 



It is not my purpose to describe the growth of the Smithsonian plan 



'See report of Hon. James Meacham, 1854, pp. 10-12. 



