TWENTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS, 1843-45. 343 



-control of this library. It would never succeed, unless this 

 course should be pursued. 



For one, he was not acquainted with the rules of the 

 National Institute, and he did not know in what manner 

 the managers of that institute were elected ; but tlie pro- 

 posed amendment placed the direction and supervision 

 of the library in the hands of managers not elected by 

 Congress, not responsible to Congress, and over whom the 

 people of this country, by their representatives, could have 

 no control whatever. Congress was undoubtedly capable 

 of administering this fund without the aid of the National 

 Institute; and it was their duty to do so. 



Without, therefore, troubling the Senate with any further 

 observations, he should certainly go for separating the ope- 

 rations of this library from those of the National Institute; 

 wishing and hoping that that institute might have all the 

 success which he believed it so well deserved ; and if it 

 should be made a rival in disseminating knowledge among 

 men with the library, well and good. The more knowledge 

 communicated, the better for the people of this country. 

 He, therefore, should vote against the amendment of the 

 honorable Senator from New Hampshire, [Mr. Woodbury,] 

 and, although there were some provisions in the bill to 

 which he might object, he would vote for it, nevertheless, 

 should it remain substantially as it came from the Commit- 

 tee on the Library. 



Mr. Allen said he should vote against this or any other 

 proposition whatever, contemplating a connection of any- 

 thing called an institution with the public Treasury of the 

 country, in any form or shape. This title, " National In- 

 stitute," sounded large, and at a distance was calculated to 

 produce a great impression upon the public mind. What 

 w^as it? Some years ago a few gentlemen of this cit}^ got 

 together and concluded to form a literary and scientific 

 association among themselves. Well, that thing has been 

 done in every city, and in most of the villages and towns 

 of the United States, from little debating societies com- 

 posed of young men, up to literary associations composed 

 of gray-headed men. All of these associations, of which 

 there are so many in this country, were like that in the city 

 of Washington, formed in the same way, and were mere 

 voluntary associations of man with man. But this associa- 

 tion in Washington city, finding a Capitol here and a 

 public Treasury here, called itself a National Institute ; 

 and, in order to legalize its claim to that pompous title, it 

 sisked Congress to give it a corporate existence by a soiemu 



