THIRTY-THIRD CONGRESS, 1853-55. 561 



a peculiar and delicate relation to this subject, intimated his 

 desire for a committee to investigate it. 



Mr. Pearce. Will my friend from North Carolina allow 

 me to interpose? 



Mr. Badger. Certainly. 



Mr. Pearce, I am anxious that the question should be 

 referred to a committee. I am quite content that the paper 

 should be received and laid upon the table; but I do desire, 

 as the Senator from New York has said, that the subject- 

 matters which are referred to in the letter, should be sub- 

 mitted to a committee of this body for consideration. I 

 hope, therefore, that the proposition of the Senator from 

 New York will be adopted, and the paper laid on the table; 

 and that some gentleman will move a resolution directing a 

 committee (and I now prefer that it should be the Commit- 

 tee on the Judiciary) to inquire what, if any, action is proper 

 to be taken by the Senate in regard to the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution. That committee was organized at the beginning 

 of the session, without reference to this question. I am 

 willing and desire that the matter should take the regular 

 course, and be referred to that committee, whose appropri- 

 ate dut}' it is to construe the acts of Congress, which are 

 drawn into question. 



Mr. Badger. I now withdraw my motion for reference, 

 and move that the paper lie on the table. 



Mr. Weller. I am exceedingly anxious to terminate the 

 debate, and proceed to the consideration of some practical 

 business. This question, however, ought to be decided. 

 Here are three regents of the Smithsonian Institution, who 

 have brought to the consideration of the Senate the impor- 

 tant fact that they differ as to the construction given to a 

 law of Congress, or as to the proper mode of using the fund 

 which they have been appointed to administer. Now, I 

 think it very important that Congress should determine that 

 question, because we have been notitied, by the debate to- 

 day, that that difference of opinion does exist; and after this 

 paper shall have been disposed of, if no other Senator makes 

 the motion, I shall submit one to instruct the Committee on 

 the Judiciary to consider and report on this subject. 



The President. The question is on the motion of the 

 Senator from North Carolina, that the paper lie on the 

 table. 



The motion was agreed to. 



Mr. Clayton subsequently said : Mr. President, as the 

 Senator from California [Mr. Weller] did not follow up his 

 proposition, I desire to offer the following resolution: 

 36 



