THIRTIETH CONGRESS, 1847-49. 491 



PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 



House of Representatives, December 11, 1848. 



Mr. Andrew Johnson, of Tennessee, moved to amend the 

 resolution of Mr. Truman Smith, so as to provide for the 

 appointment of a standing committee, to be called the Com- 

 mittee on the Smithsonian Institution. 



Mr. GoGGiN rose, and was understood to express his desire 

 to offer an amendment providing that no member should 

 have the right to call the previous question on any proposi- 

 tion presented to the House until the same should have been 

 distinctly stated by the Chair or the Clerk. 



Mr. Goggin desired, if in order, to offer this as an amend- 

 ment to the amendment of the gentleman from Tennessee, 

 [Mr. Johnson.] 



The Speaker was understood to say that the proposition 

 of the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Goggin] would be in 

 order after the amendment of the gentleman from Tennes- 

 see [Mr. Johnson] had been disposed of. The question ]iow 

 was, on ordering the appointment of an additional commit- 

 tee on the Smithsonian Institution. 



The question was accordingly put by the Chair, but be- 

 fore the decision had been announced — 



Mr. Johnson hoped, he said, that the House would adopt 

 his amendment. The subject involved the expenditure of 

 hundreds of thousands of dollars, and he could see no sub- 

 stantial reason why opposition should be made to the ap- 

 pointment of such a committee. The Regents were pre- 

 pared, as he understood, to make a report. This Congress 

 had the supervision of the fund, and had the appointment 

 of some of its Regents; and he could not see why this body, 

 or incorporation, or institution, upon which so much money 

 had been expended, should not be reported upon, as to its 

 proceedings and condition, to this House. Congress had 

 received the fund, and had become responsible for it. They 

 were the trustees. "Were they to act before a committee ot 

 the House had reported upon the manner in which the 

 funds had been disposed of, and upon other matters of that 

 kind? He was utterly astonished that his amendment 

 should find any opponent on this floor. Did gentlemen 

 wish to exclude all light upon the subject — to prevent the 

 country receiving such information as it was in their power 

 to give — to keep from public view the facts connected wnth 

 the expenditure of the money ? It was strange that any 

 gentleman should be found willing to say that he did not 

 want a committee which might ascertain all the facts and 



