552 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



of the institution. I at no time allowed my feelings to be- 

 come enlisted, much less excited, on the subject. But when 

 all the various plans were presented there for the organiza- 

 tion of the institution, and especially the library plan, as a 

 principal feature, not an exclusive one, in antagonism to a 

 plan that the library should be a subordinate feature, or that 

 there should be no library at all, it is my firm conviction 

 that Congress, by its action, did sanction the policy of a 

 library as a principal, but not an exclusive, feature in the 

 institution. In other words, the plan proposed by Mr. 

 Marsh, of Vermont, in opposition to that of Mr. Hough, of 

 New York, did prevail, and the main features of Mr. Marsh's 

 plan tended to the establishment of a library. The library 

 plan, as it was called, having prevailed, there was a limita- 

 tion on the amount of funds to be devoted to that plan, in- 

 serted in the law, wliich was, that out of the $30,000 of in- 

 come of the institution, not exceeding $25,000 should be 

 appropriated to the library. 



I do not hold that the regents are compelled to appropriate 

 to a library the sum of $25,000 each year, but I do hold 

 that the law in its terms, when carefully examined, contem- 

 plates the library as a prominent object in the institution, and 

 that at least a majority of the funds should be expended in 

 the building up of the library. That is my interpretation. I 

 am aware that when the institution was first organized, these 

 same diversities of opinion arose, and a compromise was 

 effected, by which it was agreed that the funds should be 

 equally divided. When I came into the institution, a few 

 months ago, as one of its regents, I was willing to abide by 

 that compromise. I could not have agreed to it originally, 

 because I think the fair interpretation of the law contem- 

 plated that the larger portion of the fund should be applied 

 to the establishment of a library ; but, as they made an 

 equal division, I was willing to acquiesce in it, in order to 

 avoid the appeal which is now made to Congress and to the 

 country, and thus perhaps endanger, to some extent, the 

 reputation of the institution. 



I expressed these opinions to my brother regents freely ; 

 but, I trust, with proper respect. I differed from their 

 opinion. Such was, such is, my conviction, I did not 

 deem it my duty to resign because I was overruled. I 

 was willing to acquiesce in the decision, because I had not 

 the power, according to the law, to override it ; and because 

 every other regent had the same right which I had to ex- 

 press and entertain his opinion. Yet, sir, when the ques- 

 tion arises, no matter how often it may arise, whether that 



