TIIIRTY-TIIIRD CONGRESS, 1853-55. 591 



-committee would have been willing to encounter the task; 

 but the want of time absolutely forbids the attempt, and, 

 :after all, it would, perhaps, have been useful scarcely for 

 any other purpose than to satisfy their own minds. They 

 could not advise, in any event, the action of Congress upon 

 the subject, as the whole transaction, according to Mr. 

 Blodget's own account, was, from first to last, placed and 

 Ivcpt by him in the discretion and decision of the Board of 

 liegents. 



In discharging the main part of their duty, relating to 

 the management of the institution, whether it has been in 

 accordance with the law, and to the question, whether any 

 farther legislation is necessary, the committee will, in the 

 first place, present such a history of the whole matter, as 

 will, in conjunction with the evidence presented in the ap- 

 pendix to this report, enable every member of Ihe House to 

 form a judgment on the subject. 



[The committee then reproduce t!ie will of James Smith- 

 son and the act to authorize the President of the United 

 States to accept the bequest, and pledging the faith of the 

 United States to use the funds as directed in the will of the 

 testator, and then proceeds :] 



It will be perceived that in the foregoing act the Govern- 

 ment of the United States pledged itself that "any and all 

 sums of money and other funds which shall be received for or 

 on account of the said legacy shall be applied in such manner 

 AS Congress may hereafter direct," &c. It is presumed that 

 it is our duty to consider, not whether the funds have been 

 applied to such objects, and in such way as Congress ought 

 to have directed, in the opinion of any individuals, but to such 

 objects and in such a way as Congress, in fulfilment of the 

 foregoing pledge, has directed. The next step, therefore, is 

 to ascertain what was the determination of Congress on the 

 subject. 



Great caution and deliberation were exercised in determ- 

 ining the matter. The country felt that it was a solemn and 

 momentous trust. The gratitude, pride, honor, and wisdom 

 of the nation were involved; not only the then present gen- 

 ■eration, but future ages were interested. The field to be 

 surveyed was the whole country, and the whole world be- 

 yond the limits of the country. It was obvious that the 

 nature of our institutions presented some peculiar difficul- 

 ties in the way of executing the trust. If the testator had 

 understood, as indeed but few foreigners ever have done, 

 those difiiculties, he might, perhaps, have made some ar- 



