THIRTY-TUIRD CONGRESS, 1853-55. • 595 



literature, politics, business, the whole world of nature and 

 culture, the entire realm of facts and reality, all ages and 

 all that they have contained. " Science " is almost univer- 

 sally emploj'ed to denote those branches of knowledge 

 which are systematized into a distinct organization or ar- 

 rangement, based upon definite principles, and reduced to 

 particular rules. In the progress of knowledge new seicnces 

 are added to the list, and in the establishment of new classi- 

 fications the boundary lines are altered. There is a vast 

 amount of knowledge not included in an}^ science. Fur- 

 ther, the word science is sometimes used to embrace only a 

 part of what, in a broader sense, is included in the sciences. 

 It is getting to become quite generally used to denote what 

 are called the physical sciences, excluding political, moral, 

 and intellectual science — excluding history, the arts, and all 

 general literature. Surely, it cannot be maintained that 

 *' knowledge " was used by Smithson as merelj' identical 

 with " science " in this last mentioned and most limited 

 sense. 



The words "among men " were used merel}' to corrobor- 

 ate the idea expressed by the word " diffusion." They do 

 not necessarily imply that the institution should coufijie it- 

 self to world-wide operations. The word is not, as some 

 seem to suppose, " mankind," but "men;" and he diffuses 

 knowledge "among men" as truly, and in as full a sense, 

 when he enlightens the minds of his neighbors, as of per- 

 sons at the farthest pole. He best fulfils the idea of Smith- 

 son who increases human intelligence, whenever and 

 wherever he has an opportunity, in every circle of influence, 

 however near or however remote. 



The seventh section of the act establishing the institution 

 has given occasion to a difference of interpretation that has 

 been brought to the notice of the committee. The section 

 relates to the duties and powers of the secretary, and goes 

 on to say that " the said secretary shall also discharge the 

 duties of librarian and keeper of the museum, and may, 

 with the consent of the Board of Regents, employ assist- 

 ants; and the said officers shall receive for their services 

 such suras as may be allowed by the Board of Regents, to 

 be paid semi-annually, on the first days of January and 

 July; and the said officers shall be removable by the Board 

 of Regents whenever, in their judgment, the interests of 

 the institution require any of the said officers to be 

 changed." 



The committee cannot but think it strange that, in the 

 face of this express language, it has been made a question 



