TWENTY-NINTH CONGRESS, 1845-47. 459 



ably would, benefit those already learned, but not the people. 

 "With the view of attaining that object, he should oflfer an 

 amendment, which he would ask the clerk to read, [The 

 clerk here read the amendment, which will be found, as 

 offered, at a subsequent stage of the proceedings.] He had 

 hastily glanced at a substitute offered by his colleague, [Mr. 

 Hough,] just laid on his table, and which he thought was 

 less objectionable than the original bill. Yet, sir, I feel, in 

 common with others, what is due to the honorable gentle- 

 man from Indiana, [Mr. Owen,] the chairman of the com- 

 mittee, for his exertions in this matter, and know how diffi- 

 cult it is to frame a bill to meet the views of all ; but 

 difiicult as it might be, it was no reason wh}^ a beginning 

 should not be made to carry out the intentions of the testa- 

 tor. 



Mr. A. D. Sims offered a substitute for the bill ; which 

 was read. 



Mr. Giles submitted an amendment, providing for the 

 publication and distribution of books for the instruction of 

 the blind ; which was read. He would say nothing in fixvor 

 of the amendment, just read, for it would be a libel on the 

 House to suppose that any argument in favor of it would be 

 required. He took it for granted that the committee would 

 now act on this subject, and he could not believe that the 

 proposition of the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. 

 Adams] would receive the sanction of the committee. In 

 the face of the world we had assumed this trust. We had 

 taken the money under the will of this distinguished 

 stranger, but we had delayed, for a long time, the execution 

 of the trust. He hoped the faith of the United States 

 would not be allowed to suffer any injury in the eyes of the 

 world, by longer delay of action on the subject. There 

 were some portions of the bill of the gentleman from Indi- 

 ana wiiich he would like to see altered. While he had no 

 constitutional scruples himself as to the incorporation of 

 the institution, yet he would be willing, in courtesy to the 

 opinion of others, to strike out that provision from the bill, 

 for all its ends could be accomplished without it. He urged 

 the committee not to delay action, because there was difli- 

 culty in each step before them. Congress had power to 

 alter and amend the act, and it was now necessary only to 

 take the initiatory step. The form could be altered from 

 time to time, so as to carry out the intentions of the testa- 

 tor. The objections urged to a normal school were not 

 well founded. It would send abroad a number of educated 

 men ; and was not education the richest boon that could be 



