470 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



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

 States of America in Congress assembled, That the President and Vice- 

 President of the UniLed States, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the 

 Treasury, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Navy, the Postmaster 

 General, the Attorney General, the Chief Justice, and the Commissioner of 

 the Patent Office of the United States, and the Mayor of the city of Wash- 

 ington, during the time for which they shall hold their respective otBces, 

 ami such other persons as they may elect honorary members, be, and they 

 are hereby, constituted an "establishment," by the name of the "Smith- 

 sonian Institution," for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among 

 men ; and by that name shall be known and have perpetual succession, 

 with the powers, limitations, and restrictions hereinafter contained, and na 

 other. 



Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, 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 Re- 

 gents of the Institution establi.«hed by this act be deemed necessary, be, and 

 the same is hereby, appropriated for the erection of suitable buildings, and 

 for other current incidental expenses of said Institution ; and that six per 

 cent, interest on the said trust fund — it being the said amount of five hun- 

 dred and fifteen thousand one hundred and sixty-nine 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 ex- 

 penditures 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. And be it further enacted, 

 That all the moneys and stocks which have been, or may hereafter be, 

 received into the Treasury ot the United States on account of the fund 

 bequeathed by James Smithson, be, and hereby are, pledged to refund to 

 the Treasury of the United States the sums hereby appropriated. 



Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the business of the said Institution 

 shall be conducted at the city of Washington by a Board of Regents by the 

 name of the Regents of the " Smithsonian Institution," to be composed of 

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

 States, and the Mayor of the city of Washington, during the time for 

 which they shall hold their respective ofiices ; three members of the Senate 

 and three members of the House of Representatives, together with six other 

 persons, other than members of Congress, two of whom shall be members 

 of the National Institute in the city of Washington, and resident in the 

 said city ; and the other four thereof shall be inhabitants of States, and no 

 two of them of the same State. And the Regents, to be selected as afore- 

 said, shall be appointed immediately after the passage of this act — the 

 members of the Senate by the President thereof, the members of the House 

 by the Speaker thereof, and the six other persons by joint resolution of the 

 Senate and House of Representatives ; and the members of the House so 

 appointed shall serve until the fourth Wednesday in 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 in 

 December, the second succeeding their appointment And the Senators i^o 

 appointed shall serve during the term for which they shall hold, ■without 



