TUIRTY-SIXTH CONGRESS, 1859-61. 665 



Carolina ; and I purposely refrain from much that I might 

 say, that I may not consume the time of the Senate. 



Mr. Cameron. I am one of those who were here at the 

 time of the reception by this Government of the Smithsonian 

 legacy, and one of those who voted to receive that donation 

 from a phihmthropic man in England, who died and left us 

 his money. I recollect very well that the arguments of 

 those who were opposed to receiving it were, that it would 

 be a constant tax on us ; that the giving to us of those 

 $500,000 would result in the expenditure of millions ; and 

 all the friends of the institution, amongst them myself, said, 

 "No; we will take this $500,000, and get the best we can 

 out of it." From that time to now I have always opposed 

 any appropriation for it. If the institution cannot sustain 

 itself, let it fall. I believe it is doing good. I do not want 

 to make it one of those things that shall constantly eat into 

 the vitals of this Government. This is a Government here 

 by itself, controlling itself, and controlling many other 

 things around it. My feelings to it are nothing but kind; 

 but I think it ought to sustain itself, and I shall vote against 

 every appropriation for it. I rise, however, only to say a 

 word in regard to a remark made by the Senator from 

 Maryland, who is almost always right. He spoke of the 

 ignorance of the Senator from New Hampshire on this sub- 

 ject. I simply want to say to the Senator from Maryland, 

 that the best book we have ever had says that, whenever 

 we have learned our own ignorance, we are nearest wisdom. 



Mr. Fessenden. I wish to correct an error into which 

 my friend from Pennsylvania has fallen; and I think my 

 friend from New Hampshire, also, is troubled with the same 

 difficulty. This is not anything paid to the Smithsonian 

 Institution. It is not in aid of their fund. It has nothing 

 to do with anything connected with that institution in any 

 shape or form. They do not call upon us for anything con- 

 nected properly with the institution, to render them any aid 

 in any shape. The simple matter is this: we have a large 

 collection of this material, coming from several exploring 

 expeditions. It was all placed at the Patent Office, or under 

 the charge of the Secretary of the Interior. There was 

 nobody to take care of it; there was nobody* to arrange 

 it, nobody to do anything with regard to it; it was turning 

 out to be utterly useless, of no good to the Government; 

 and we imposed the burden on the Smithsonian Institution. 

 We decreed that it should be sent there and should be exam- 

 ined there. 



