TWENTY-NINTH CONGRESS, 1845-47. 477 



thorized to fill tlie vacancy in the Board of Regents of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, caused hy the resignation of Mr. 

 George Evans. 



Mr. James A. Pearce, of Maryland, was appointed. 



Senate, February 27, 1847. 



Mr. J. M. Clayton moved an amendment to the Civil 

 and Diplomatic Appropriation hill appropriating a sum, 

 ($5,000,) to paid annually, for the purchase of Catlin's gal- 

 lery of Indian portraits, &c. 



Air. Clayton stated that this was prohahh' the last oppor- 

 tunity which would be offered for obtaining this gallery of 

 paintings, perpetuating the lineaments of these aborigines. 

 He would not now go into the merits of these paintings. 

 They had been seen by all the Senators. At the last session 

 memorials had been presented from the principal artists 

 praying that they might be purchased by the Government; 

 and this was the last opportunity. They were about six 

 hundred in number, and were now at the Louvre, in Paris, 

 where they met with unqualified approbation. It was pro- 

 vided by his amendment that they were not to be purchased 

 unless the Smithsonian Institution would find a place for 

 them in their gallery, which he understood would probably 

 be done. They might, perhaps, be purchased for about 

 $50,000, of which it was proposed to pay $5,000 annually. 



•Mr. Breese said he was not aware of any arrangement 

 which had been suggested in the Institute for these paint- 

 ings; and six hundred of them would fill the entire gallery 

 intended for fine arts. These pictures arc not, of them- 

 selves, of such excellence as would probably be selected for 

 the gallery of the arts. 



Mr. Westcott was opposed to purchasing the portraits of 

 savages. What great moral lesson are they intended to in- 

 culcate? He would rather see the portraits of the numer- 

 ous citizens who have been murdered by these Indians. He 

 would not vote a cent for a portrait of an Indian. 



Mr. J. M. Clayton added, that this collection had cost 

 Mr. Catlin not less than $10,000. Propositions had been 

 made for their purchase in Europe, in order to perpetuate 

 the memory of these Indians ; but we are more bound to 

 preserve them than foreigners were. As to the Institute 

 this appropriation was to depend on their decision. If they 

 could not provide a place for them the paintings would not 

 be purchased. 



The motion was then decided in the ncErative. 



