306 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



Committee of the Whole, the bill S. 18, and various verbal 

 amendments offered by him, were adopted. 



On motion by Mr. Huntington, the further consideration 

 was postponed to, and made the order of the day for Thurs- 

 day next. 



Mr. Choate and Mr. Tappan offered amendments, which 

 were ordered to be printed. 



Senate, January 6, 1845. 



Mr. Tappan presented a petition of Thomas Johnson and 

 otliers, citizens of Huron county, Ohio, praying the passage 

 of the bill now before the Senate to establish the Smithso- 

 nian Institution ; which was ordered to lie on the table. 



Mr. Foster, of New York, presented a petition of Gene- 

 ral N. V. Knickerbocker and two hundred other citizens of 

 Steuben county, New York, praying the passage of the bill 

 to establish the Smithsonian Institution ; which was ordered 

 to lie on the table. 



Senate, January 8, 1845. 



The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the 

 consideration of the bill (S. 18) to establish the Smithsonian 

 Institution. 



The bill having been read — 



Mr. Choate said he was sure that, whatever opinion 

 might be at last formed on this bill, its principles, or its 

 details, all would concur in expressing thanks to the Sena- 

 tor from Ohio [Mr. Tappan] for introducing it. We shall 

 differ, he proceeded, more perhaps than could be wished, or 

 than can be reconciled, about the mode of administering 

 this noble fund ; but we cannot differ about our duty to 

 enter at once on some mode of administering it. A large 

 sum of money has been given to us, to hold and to apply, 

 in trust, "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge 

 among men." Wo have accepted the trust. " To this ap- 

 plication — (such is the language of our act of the 1st of 

 July, 1836 — ) to this application of the money the faith of 

 the United States is hereby pledged." The donor is in his 

 grave. There is no chancellor to compel us to redeem our 

 pledge; and there needs none. Our own sense of duty to 

 the dead, and the living, and the unborn who shall live — 

 our justice, our patriotism, our policy, common honesty, 

 common decorum, urge us, and are enough to urge us, to 

 go on, without the delay of an hour, to appropriate the 

 bounty according to the form of the gift. I thank the 

 Senator, therefore, for introducing a bill with which, to my 



