TWENTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS, 1843-45. 347 



e'nls, and by every other means in which he could manifest 

 his regard. He (Mr. Walker) thought, therefore, notwith- 

 standing the difference of opinion between his friend from 

 Massaclmsetts [Mr Choate] and his friend from New 

 Hampshire, [Mr. Woodbury,] as to which is tlie most dem- 

 ocratic — and he really rejoiced that his friend from Massa- 

 clmsetts was claiming to be democratic, for it was a good 

 symptom of the progress of democracy — and, notwithstand- 

 ing all that was said by his friend from Ohio, [Mr. Allen,] 

 he was bound to say that the individuals who originated 

 this institution were eminently democratic. He did not see 

 that the amendment offered by the Senator from New 

 Hampshire proposed that the National Institute should have 

 one dollar of the Smithsonian fund, or of any fund what- 

 ever. He believed it provides that the whole payments to 

 be made are to be made by the Treasury ; and that all the 

 National Institute is to do, as regards this matter, in con- 

 nection with the four other individuals named, is to be 

 done under the direction of a committee of this body, and 

 subject every year to the modifications and regulations, and 

 subject to the supervision and control, of the Government 

 of the United States. He rejected the idea, as one utterly 

 erroneous, that the amendment of the Senator from New 

 Hampshire proposes that the National Institute shall take 

 an}' portion of this fund, or that it proposes even that it 

 shall have the administration of it. It is not to receive a 

 solitary dollar. It is not to disburse either the Smithsonian 

 fund, or any other fund whatever, under this amendment. 

 The Smithsonian fund is all to be administered by the 

 Treasury Department — to be paid out by that department; 

 and all that is to be done by this amendment is, to provide 

 that there may be some supervision of these drafts before 

 they are presented to the Treasury Department. 



He should really like to know, inasmuch as there was to 

 be a discussion here upon politics generally, which of the 

 two is the more democratic — the Smithsonian Institution, 

 or the National Institute ? The Smithsonian Institution 

 originated from an individual in England, entirely foreign 

 — the very name is foreign. How was it with the National 

 Institute ? It sprang from the people. It bears a name 

 that is dear to the people; and it has received the manifest 

 encouragement of the people of the United States. He 

 spoke now not merely of the colleges scattered all over the 

 Union that had contributed to its aid and support. He 

 spoke not merely of the scientific men who assembled at 

 this Capitol not long since, and gave it their encouragement 



