298 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



$300,000, $60,000 shall be held as a permanent fund ; from 

 the interest of which, without intrenching upon the prin- 

 cipal, a sum of $3,600 a year shall be jDrovided for the com- 

 pensation of an astronomical observ^ator, and for the con- 

 tingent expenses of repairs of an observatory, occasionally 

 required. That a like fund of $120,000 shall be reserved, 

 3'ielding a yearly interest of $7,200, for a compensation of 

 $1,500 a year for each of four assistant observers, and of 

 two laborers with the wages for each of $600 a year. That 

 a fund of $20,000 should supply a yearly interest for the 

 purchase of new publications on subjects connected with, 

 science; and another fund, from the interest of which may 

 be defrayed the compensation of the secretary and treas- 

 urer of the corporation, and the charge of publication of a 

 nautical almanac, and of the observations made b}' the 

 observators. There remains, then, a sum of $70,000 to be 

 expended for the erection of the observatory, and of the 

 necessary buildings connected therewith, and for the pur- 

 chase of instruments and books necessary and suitable for 

 the establishment, which may be thus formed and com- 

 pleted by the close of the year 1846. 



For refunding to the Treasury the whole sum thus appro- 

 priated, principal and interest, the only requisite will be the 

 sense of justice of the Governments of the States of Ark- 

 ansas, Illinois, and Michigan, of which, as the committee 

 have observed, they cannot entertain a doubt. 



The committee respectfully report, with slight modifica- 

 tions adapted to the present circumstances, the same bill 

 reported by a committee of this House at the 2d session of 

 the 27th Congress, on the 12th of April, 1842. 



And, finally, the committee refer the House, for a full 

 exposition of the facts and principles upon which the bill 

 now reported is predicated, to the following previous reports 

 of committees of this House, on the subject of the Smith- 

 sonian bequest : 



Kcport No. 181, of January 19, 1836, 24th Congress 1st 

 session, with accompanying documents. 

 _ Report No. 277, of March 5, 1840, 26tli Congress 1st ses- 

 sion, with amendatory bill II. R. No. 1. 



Report No. 587, of April 12, 1842, 27th Congress 2d ses- 

 sion, with bill II. R. No. 386. 



All of \vhich this committee request may be taken as 

 part of their report. 



