520 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



among members; but, as it was really a valuable work, 

 and a new edition was called for, he thought it was proper 

 that the publication should be intrusted to the Smithsonian 

 Institution. 



Mr. Wentworth (interposing) said that he thought that 

 it was quite proper that copies of the work should be dis- 

 tributed among members of Congress. He would, there- 

 fore, ask the gentleman from Mississippi to modify his amend- 

 ment so as to furnish each member of Congress with a copy 

 of Wilkes' Exploring Expedition. He had been a member 

 of that body eight years, and, although he had received 

 copies of other works, he had never received a copy of this, 

 nor had he ever heard of other members receiving copies. 



Mr. Thompson stated that only about one hundred copies 

 had been published. 



Mr. Wentworth said that he was entirely opposed to the 

 amendment, unless modified as he had indicated. 



Mr. Thompson wished to explain that the original resolu- 

 tion provided for the publication of only one hundred copies. 

 There was a great demand for the work, and it was desirable 

 to have copies that might be furnished to different foreign 

 nations. There were only, he believed, twenty copies left 

 in the Library. 



Mr. Wentworth inquired if it had ever been distributed 

 to members of Congress. 



Mr. Thompson said that copies never had been distributed 

 among members. 



Mr. Wentworth requested the gentleman from Missis- 

 sippi to modify his amendment as he had desired. 



Mr. Thompson said that books published by the Smith- 

 sonian Institution were distributed among the various libra- 

 ries, and he Avas willing that such a distribution should take 

 place. 



Mr. Wentworth again inquired if the gentleman from 

 Mississippi would modify his amendment. 



Mr. Thompson said that he was opposed to giving copies 

 to members of Congress. 



Mr. Wentworth then moved to amend Mr. Thompson's 

 amendment by adding that a copy of the work should be 

 furnished to each Senator, Kepresentative, and Delegate to 

 the present Congress. 



Mr. Stevens said that he was opposed to the amendment 

 to the amendment. He understood that the original amend- 

 ment merely contemplated giving the plates to the Smith- 

 sonian Institution for that Institution to publish them. Con- 

 gress had a perfect right to do this; but he could not under- 



