THIRTY-THIRD CONGRESS, 1853-55. 529 



ments franked by me for the Smithsonian Institution were 

 printed by order of Congress; and I had the same right to 

 frank them as I had the other public documents printed by 

 order of Congress. 



Mr. Jones. If they were ordered by Congress, or by 

 either House of Congress, then they were public docu- 

 ments, and came within the law. And the gentleman from 

 Indiana, [Mr. Mace,] and every other member had a right 

 to frank them. But the documents printed by order of the 

 Smithsonian Institution are not included among these priv- 

 ileged matters which members of Congress are authorized 

 to frank; and, in my opinion, they should not be included. 

 I now, Mr. Speaker, move the previous question. 



Mr. Warren. I move to lay the bill and amendment 

 upon the table. 



Mr. Mace. The gentleman from Massachusetts who re- 

 ported the bill has urgently appealed to me to withdraw the 

 amendment which I have proposed. I do now withdraw it. 



There was no objection, and it was withdrawn. 



House or Representatives, March 10, 1854. 



Mr. Chandler. I ask leave to introduce a memorial from 

 the Smithsonian Institution, with a view of having it refer- 

 red to the special committee appointed early in January. 

 It is a memorial asking Congress to authorize the Treasury 

 Department to receive $150,000, saved from the accrued 

 interest, on the same terms as those on which the original 

 bequest was received. 



The memorial is as follows : 



To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives, in Congress as- 

 sembled: 



Gentlemen : The Board of Kegents of the Smithsonian Institution have 

 directed me to transmit to your honorable body the resolution appended to 

 this communication, and to solicit the passage of a law in accordance there- 

 with. 



It is known to your honorable body that the original sum received into 

 the United States Treasury from the Smithsonian bequest was a little more 

 than $515,000, and that at the time of the passage of the act incorporating 

 the institution $242,000 had accrued in interest, which sum, or so much o{ 

 it as might be deemed necessary, the Regents were authorized to appropriate 

 to a building. 



In consideration, however, of the great demands upon the institution foi 

 " the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men," the Regents, instead 

 of immediately expending this sum on the building, have carefully husbanded 

 it, and have extended the time of the erection of the building over several 

 years, and have defrayed the expense in part out of the proceeds of this sum, 

 and in part out of such portions of the income of the original fund as could 

 be spared from the operations of the institution. The building will be com- 

 pleted in a few months in fire-proof materials, and in a very substantial man- 

 ner, and besides the money required to pay the contractor there is now on 

 hand $150,000 of accrued interest. 

 34 



