356 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



same back with one amendment. The bill, as it was re- 

 ferred to them, reads as follows : 



A BILL to establish the " Smithsonian Institution," for the increase and 

 diffusion of knowledge among men. 



"Whereas James Smithson, Esquire, of London, in the Kingdom of Great 

 Britain, by his last will and testament, did give the whole of his property 

 to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the inerease and dif- 

 fusion of knowledge among men ; and whereas Congress have heretofore 

 received said property and accepted said trust : therefore, that the same 

 may be executed in good faith, and according to the will of the liberal and 

 enlightened donor — 



'^^ Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 

 States of America in Congress assembled, That so much of the property of 

 the said James Smithson as has been received in money, and paid into the 

 Treasury of the United States, being the sum of five hundred and fifteen 

 thousand one hundred and sixty-nine dollars, be lent to the United States 

 Treasury, at six per cent, per annum interest, from the first day of Septem- 

 ber, in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight, when the same 

 was received into the said Treasury, and that so much of the interest as may 

 have accrued on said sum on the first day of July next, which will amount 

 to the sum of two hundred and forty-two thousand one hundred and twenty- 

 nine dollars, or so much thereof as shall by the board of managers of the 

 institution established by this act be deemed necessary, be, and the same is 

 hereby, appropriated for the erection of suitable buildings, the enclosing 

 and preparing of suitable grounds, and for other current incidental expen- 

 ses of the said institution ; and that six per cent, interest on the said trust 

 fund, it being the said amount of five hundred and fifteen thousand one 

 hundred and sixt3'-nino dollars, received into the United States Treasury, 

 on the first of September, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight, 

 payable, in half yearly payments, on the first of January and July in each 

 year, be, and the same is hereby, appropriated for the perpetual maintenance 

 and support of said institution ; and all expenditures and appropriations to 

 be made, from time to time, to the purposes of the institution aforesaid, shall 

 be exclusively from the accruing interest, and not from the principal of the 

 said fund. 



Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the business of the said institution 

 shall be conducted by a board of managers, to be composed of the Vice- 

 President of the United States, the Chief Justice of the United States, 

 during the time for which they shall hold their respective oflices ; three 

 members of the Senate and three members of the House of Representatives, 

 together with seven other persons, other than members of Congress, two of 

 whom shall be members of the National Institute in the city of Washing- 

 ton, and resident in the said city ; and the other five thereof shall be in- 

 habitants of States, and no two of them of the same State. And the man- 

 agers to be selected as aforesaid from Congress, shall be appointed immedi- 

 ately after the passage of this act — the members of the Senate by the 

 President thereof, and the members of the House by the Speaker thereof; 

 and those so appointed shall serve until the fourth Wednesday of December, 

 the second next after the passage of this act; and then, and biennially 

 thereafter, on every alternate fourth Wednesday of December, a like number 

 shall be appointed in the same manner, to serve until the fourth Wednesday 

 of December, the second succeeding their appointment ; and they shall also 

 constitute and be denominated a joint standing committee of Congress on 

 the Smithsonian Institution ; and vacancies occasioned by death, resigna- 

 tion, or otherwise, shall be filled as vacancies in committees are filled ; and 

 the other seven managers aforesaid shall serve for the term of two years 

 from the fourth Wednesday of December next after the passage of this act ; 



