THIRTY-THIRD CONGRESS, 1853-55. 631 



of the formation of such, a library, indicating its general 

 character," &c. 



In their report which was long and elaborate, the com- 

 mittee say : 



" They see in the language of the act, which the regents are created to 

 administer, and in the history of the passage of that act, a clear intimation 

 that such a library was regarded by Congress as prominent among the more 

 important means of increasing and diffusing knowledge among men. This 

 intimation they think, should control in a great degree, the acts of the re- 

 gents. They will not, however, withhold the expression, that the apparent 

 policy of Congress in this particular is marked by profound wisdom, that 

 it rests on a right construction of the terms and an enlarged appreciation 

 of the spirit of the bequest." 



They recommended the appropriation of $20,000 of the 

 income " for the present," to the library, independent of 

 salaries, and this recommendation loas adopted. I pause to i-e- 

 mark, that if this resolution had been carried out, we should 

 even now, have much the largest library in this country. It 

 would be something to have, to see, to use, to grow. And 

 I ask you to place beside this the half dozen quarto, and 

 the half dozen octavo volumes published by the institution, 

 and tell me which you would prefer ? Which would tend 

 most for the increase and difi'usion of knowledge ? 



Instead of this library what have we ? Why, sir, a mea- 

 ger collection of some fourteen thousand volumes, besides 

 pamphlets, &c., made up of copyright books, imperfect 

 sets of periodicals and publications of societies, and univer- 

 sity theses — with doubtless a good proportion of important 

 and valuable works. But the whole how insignificant in 

 comparison with the great and noble design ! We have heard 

 it stated that the library is worth $40,000. This is a pre- 

 posterously exaggerated estimate. I do not believe that an 

 intelligent bookseller could be found who would value it 

 at a third of the sum ! If the value of the museum and 

 apparatus be equally exaggerated, we must abate largely 

 from the vaunted possessions of the institution. And then, 

 sir, this library is cramped into inconvenient and uncom- 

 fortable quarters, and shut up from the public, at a time, too, 

 when there is an unusual concourse of people at the Insti- 

 tution. 



As to the origin of the present difficulties, I particularly 

 demur to the statement of the gentleman from Indiana, 

 He represents the question to have been whether the funds 

 should be used to build up a library as a paramount object, 

 or whether they should be applied, not only for a library, 

 but for such other purposes as the regents might think 

 would best accord with the will of Smithson and the act of 



