388 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



length, of the circumstances and restrictions of that legacy, 

 the manner in which it had been expended, &c., stating that 

 the reason why the school had not ere this, partially at least, 

 gone into operation, was an unfortunate proviso placed by 

 Mr. Girard in his will, that none of the orphans intended 

 to be benefited should be received and educated, until the 

 entire five buildings were fully completed according to the 

 plan prescribed b/him. Upon this point Mr. I yielded to 

 Mr. Owen for explanation. 



Eecurring to the position that the fact that this fund 

 might have been invested by the act of the Government 

 itself in Arkansas stocks principally, and to a small extent 

 in the stocks of Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan, in no manner 

 diminished its accountability for the amount of its obliga- 

 tion to appropriate in accordance with the intention of Mr. 

 Smithson. 



Mr. Vinton interposed, and said, if any portion of it was 

 invested in Ohio bonds, of which he was not before aware, 

 the interest on them would be regularly paid. 



Mr. Yell also (speaking for Arkansas) said we are ready 

 to settle at any time. 



Mr. Ingersoll. I have no doubt of it. 



Mr. Yell, (in reply to another remark of Mr. Ingersoll, 

 not heard by the reporter.) Whenever we can bring the 

 Treasury of the United States to a settlement, then we will 

 talk about it. 



Mr. Ingersoll (resuming) said he concurred in the gen- 

 eral views of Mr. Owen, especially as at the conclusion of 

 the bill there was a section authorizing Congress to make 

 such changes as from time to time it might deem expedient. 



There was one object which he thought the gentleman 

 had overlooked. He had properly provided against the 

 error of the Girard will, by providing that this institution 

 should go into operation on the 1st September next after 

 the passage of the law, as it could go into operation for 

 many of its purposes immediately. But instead of waiting 

 the slow process of gathering materials of instruction, he 

 intended, by an amendment at the proper place, to pro- 

 pose that the results of the exploring expedition, and the 

 articles of the National Institute, many of which were now 

 being injured for want of a proper place of deposit, and 

 both which were the property of the Government, should 

 be placed in the Smithsonian Institution, until there should 

 be substituted for them articles collected by that institution 

 itself. 



He agreed with Mr. Owen that a great library, such as 



