630 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



in his place in this House, that he " believGd the Board of 

 Eegents would be, and ought to have been long since made 

 acquainted with its direct responsibility to the power that 

 had created it." And lately, a very distinguished member 

 of the board resigned his seat in consequence of his convic- 

 tion that the administration of the institution was not in 

 accordance with the law. 



In this country, there is perhaps, no precedent for an in- 

 vestigation in all respects like this ; simply because, before 

 the existence of the Smithsonian Institution, there had not 

 been, under the direction of our Government, any establish- 

 ment for the promotion of knowledge in general. But we 

 are not at a loss for precedents. The British Museurm 

 served as a model with many of those actively engaged in 

 framing the charter of the Smithsonian Institution. It is- 

 under Government control. During the last twenty year» 

 its affairs have twice been made the subject of investigation* 

 by select committees of the House of Commons, and once hj 

 a special royal commission. The committees and the com- 

 mission were each clothed with power to send for persons and 

 papers. That institution was under the management of the- 

 highest dignitaries and the first noblemen of the realm. 



In the debate in the House of Commons on the appoint- 

 ment of one of these committees, Mr. Warburton quoted the 

 complaints of Sir Humphrey Davy, that " there must be a 

 general change in everything belonging to the Institution 

 before a proper system of radical improvement could be 

 affected ;" and Mr. Hume declared " that it was imperative 

 on the gentlemen connected with that institution to defend 

 themselves, and unless they make a good defence, it would 

 be impossible for Parliament to allow them to continue in: 

 their present condition." 



Mr. Chairman, it is not m}- intention to follow the gen- 

 tleman from Indiana through his remarks; I shall confine 

 myself to a few of the most important points. The gentle- 

 man maintains that the provisions of the act of Congress 

 have been observed. This is the main issue between the 

 two parties to this Smithsonian controversy, and is ably dis- 

 cussed in the report of the select committee. 



The view which the committee have taken of the mean- 

 ing of the law was that of the first regents, fresh from their 

 labors in framing the charter, and unbiased by influences 

 subsequently brought to bear upon them. 



On the second day of their first session, a committee was. 

 appointed upon the clause requiring the appropriation for a 

 library, and instructed " to prepare a report upon the subject 



