THIRTIETH CONGRESS, 1847-49. 503 



keeping it under the control of this Government, or whether 

 they would not faithfully discharge their trust, after having 

 passed a law for the erection of suitable buildings, by dis- 

 embarrassing the Government and the House from all con- 

 nection with the institution. He held it to be a responsible 

 duty which this House had taken upon itself; and whatever 

 might have been the opinion of gentlemen on this side of 

 the House as to the propriety of accepting the legacy, it 

 was now too late to interpose any objections on that score. 

 The two Houses of Congress were under solemn obligation 

 faithfully to discharge the duty which, as the trustees of the 

 people of the United States and of James Smithson, they 

 had undertaken ; and that duty could only be discharged 

 by referring the matter to a committee, impartial in its 

 character, capable of examining, who should report the 

 facts to this House, as to the future conduct of this institu- 

 tion. 



He was not disposed to commit himself now to either course, 

 whether he should be in favor of continuing the connection 

 of this institution with the Government or not; or whether 

 he could see his way clear to disembarrass the Government 

 from any further connection witli it. He merely threw out 

 the suggestion, that if a committee of gentlemen on this 

 floor should show them, should indicate clearly that this 

 could be done, then he apprehended there was no gentleman 

 who would not be willing to leave it in the hands of the 

 gentlemen who should have charge of this institution. The 

 bill which established this Smithsonian Institution had 

 passed hastily, without having undergone the surveillance 

 of any committee. It was true, a distinguished gentleman 

 had made an elaborate report from a committee appointed 

 on this subject, accompanied by a bill; but the House 

 would recollect that that report was rejected, and a sub- 

 stitute oftered by a gentleman from J^5"ew York, [Mr. 

 Hough,] which embodied some amendments ofiered by 

 himself, [Mr. Morse,] and by other gentlemen, was passed, 

 and became the act under which the institution was at pres- 

 ent organized. That act was imperfect in itself. His ob- 

 jection to it was, that so far as this House at least was 

 concerned, it was very little discussed, very little debated. 

 He held that Congress could not be true to its trust, unless 

 once in a j-ear or two (if they were to continue the manage- 

 ment of the institution) they authorized and delegated a part 

 of their body to examine and report all the facts of the 

 case. He did not desire to take a position either with his 

 friend from Vermont or his friend from South Carolina; 



