554 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



"believe that there is no portion of our community, certainly 

 there are no persons entitled to notice, who would wish to 

 pervert this fund to any other object than that to which it 

 was dedicated by Smithson's will. I believe the persons to 

 whom the Senator referred are stimulated by the purest 

 motives to carry out that object, under the conviction that 

 the mode in which the trust is now being administered is 

 neither in accordance with the will nor of the law. It is a 

 diiference of opinion — a difference of opinion sincerely en- 

 tertained — and one which we should, therefore, meet with 

 the spirit of firmness, of candor, and of kindness. 



I regret that the discussion has arisen, rendering it neces- 

 sary to go into an argument to show which is right, and 

 which wrong, in the coi^struction of the act. In fact, sir, 

 I believe I will not allow myself to be drawn into an argu- 

 ment on that question. If this matter is to be referred to 

 a committee, certainly any discussion of that question would 

 be more appropriate after a report of the committee. I 

 shall, therefore, content myself with saying that my firm 

 conviction is, that the only difi'erence which has arisen in 

 the management of the institution is a difference on two 

 points ; first, as to what direction this fund ought to take ; 

 secondly, the belief that a direction has been given to it, 

 which is not uuthorized by the law creating the institution. 

 I am under the impression that some regents have voted in 

 the minorit}' on this question, not because they believe the 

 original plan adopted by Congress vras the best, but because 

 they felt themselves compelled, under the law as it stood, to 

 vote as thc}^ did. 



Mr. Badger. Mr. President, I do not exactly agree in 

 the suggestion thrown out by my friend from Maryland, 

 that it is necessary that the letter which is before the 

 Senate, should become the subject of investigation by a 

 committee of this body ; but I shall, notwithstanding, read- 

 ily yield my own notions upon that subject to the wish he 

 has expressed. Allow me, however, to present very briefly 

 the views which have struck me on this occasion. 



The very eminent and distinguished gentleman who has 

 sent in this letter of resignation, has assigned two reasons 

 why he retires from assisting in the management of this 

 trust fund. One is, that he cannot give the time necessary 

 to attend the meetings of the Board of Regents. As has 

 .been said by my friend from Maryland, this is a full, ample, 

 and perfect reason, not onl}^ why he is excusable for retiring, 

 but why it is his bounden duty to retire ; for, while he holds 

 a place there the public has a right to expect him to give 



