548 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



manner, the action of Congress upon the subject; and all 

 for what? To get hold of the fund. What use was to be 

 made of it after it was thus obtained, those best know who 

 join in the pursuit. Let me be understood. I ascribe no 

 such motive to the very learned and distinguished writer of 

 the letter before us. I have the honor only of a very formal 

 acquaintance with him; but I know his history and his char- 

 acter, and that assures me he can never lend himself to any 

 unworthy purpose ; but yet I have strong reason to believe 

 that, if the objects which he seems to have in view, could 

 be obtained, this pure and simple trust, which has been ac- 

 cepted by the American people, would be debased into a 

 mere pecuniar}- job. 



Sir, the letter of Mr. Choate, unfortunately, brings back 

 into the Halls of Congress the great controversy which at- 

 tended this fund when it was first brought into the country. 

 There was a great struggle for it among the men of science^ 

 in the mechanic arts, and in other of the useful and honor- 

 able pursuits of life. The parliamentary history to which 

 the writer has referred in the letter shows it. There were 

 those who believed that this fund should be devoted exclu- 

 sively to a library, to a great collection of books — books in 

 every department of science, of art, and belles lettres. The 

 writer of this letter shows that he was one of those who de- 

 sired so to devote it; to a library — a library, to the exclu- 

 sion of everything else — a collection of books. I am free to 

 believe, and declare, that I entertain no doubt this learned 

 and distinguished gentleman believed that the best mode of 

 increasing knowledge, as well as diflusing it amongst men, 

 was to establish a library. But suppose it were done. 

 There is an annual revenue derived from the Smithsonian 

 fund of some $30,000 or $40,000. So much is to be devoted, 

 in perpdua, I suppose, to the purchase of books, which are 

 to be stored liere on shelves, in the city of Washington; 

 and who is to read them? Why, sir, the members of Con- 

 gress have little time to read the books which accumulate 

 here in the public library. The citizens of Washington 

 form a very small portion of the people of these United 

 States; and thus this great trust, which was intended for 

 MANKIND, would bciimited to the walls of Washington. 



There is another great objection to it. Books are derived 

 from booksellers. I3ooksellers are connected with book- 

 makers, and bookmakers and booksellers, with that hungry 

 legion, who all live, and of whom some grow rich, on the 

 spoils of genius and industry. Then there are the paper- 

 makers, and the book printers, and publishers, and the 



