480 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



in the same spirit. The committee which he proposed to 

 create, on which he did not desire to be placed, would 

 merely supervise the appropriations and review its afl'airs, 

 and his could not, therefore, be considered a hostile motion. 

 It was a new institution, under the care and guardianship 

 of Congress, and such a committee might be necessary to 

 report what was useful and requisite to carry out the design 

 of the testator, which was to increase the difl'usion of knowl- 

 edge among men. 



Mr. C. J. Ingersoll suggested, to save time, that the reso- 

 lution should be referred to the Select Committee on Rules, 

 who CO aid take it into consideration and report thereon to 

 the House. 



Mr. White had no objection to that course. He modified 

 his resolution accordingly, and it was referred to the select 

 committee designated. 



House of Representatives, December 19, 1847. 



The House having under consideration the Rules of the 

 House, the seventh proposed rule was read as follows : 



" 7. In atldition to the other standing committees of the House, there 

 shall be one called the Smithsonian Committee, whose duty it shall be to 

 Buperintend the affairs of the Smithsonian Institution." 



Mr. C. J. Ingersoll expressed a desire to postpone the 

 consideration of this rule to a future daj', 



Mr. HiLLiARD said he desired to occupy about ten min- 

 utes of the time of the House on this subject at this time. 

 He thought this was the precise occasion on which a few 

 words should be said. 



Mr. C. J. Ingersoll had no objection ; but as the other 

 rules had been disposed of, he wished to defer this for the 

 present. 



Mr. Hilliard undertook to move the postponement to a 

 day certain, and then proceeded as follows : 



Mr. Speaker : It so happens, that I am the only member 

 of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution now 

 entitled to a seat on this floor. It is important to secure 

 the good will of the country in behalf of an enterprise so 

 elevated — oiie might say so sublime. 



There exists some misconception in regard to the Insti- 

 tution, and idle rumors are afloat which may aftect it inju- 

 riousl}'. Scientific establishments are not to go out and 

 court popularity, but they must not be indifierent to public 

 sentiment. Before entering upon the stormy and engross- 

 ing debates in which we shall presently be engaged, I 



