THIRTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS, 1863-65. 695 



one, and a wise appropriation of public money, because it 

 is rather impertinent to the question that is now before the 

 Senate. It has been characterized, I think by Greeley — and 

 I do not often quote him — as a sort of lying-in hospital for 

 literary valetudinarians, [laughter,] and that is about the 

 amount of it. I remember once that some friends were 

 here and had been visiting about the places of interest in 

 the city of Washington, and had got pretty much through 

 with them, when I asked them, " What are you going to do 

 to-day?" They said they were going to look at the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, and find out what it was. I told them I 

 was exceedingly glad they were going to start on such a 

 mission, and I asked them, if they did find out, to tell me 

 when they got back. They did not call on me when they 

 got back. [Laughter.] 



Now, sir, I know of no reason under heaven why, when 

 we are paying in currency the men who are shedding their 

 blood in defense of the country, the men who are periling 

 everything for the salvation of the country, we should come 

 in and pay this pet child we have created in this manner in 

 gold. I think it would shock the moral sense of the nation 

 to-day, if they knew that we propose to pay in gold the in- 

 terest on this debt, which is no debt at all, when we pay 

 those who fight our battles, and shed their blood in our 

 defense, in currency. I hope the amendment will not be 

 adopted. 



Mr. Hendricks. The Committee on Public Buildings 

 and Grounds investigated this subject to some extent, and 

 became entirely satisfied, with the exception of the Senator 

 from Iowa, I believe, that this interest ought to be paid in 

 gold. I am very glad to hear the statement of the Senator 

 from Iowa. I am glad he is able to prove that this institu- 

 tion is in good condition, I am gratified that he has shown 

 it has full funds, with an accumulation of $75,000 in Indiana 

 bonds — a sure and reliable fund — and something against the 

 State of Virginia. I shall be gratified each session while I 

 have the honor of servino; alonsc with him to hear him make 



* -r ' ' 1 



as good a statement of the Smithsonian Institution as he 

 has to-night. 



He says it is a rich institution. I am glad of that. I was 

 once a member of the Indiana Legislature, and every now 

 and then I heard some Representative or Senator talking 

 about the bloated corporations of the State ; and we all had 

 it in our heads that the wealth of the corporations, in some 

 way or other, was made off our constituents, and therefore, 

 to some extent, we were justified in making war upon them, 



