702 



CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



rendered necessary the making of some repairs in the hall 

 that caused the making of a fire in that hall, which resulted 

 in the conflagration of the huilding. 



It seems to me, Mr. President, in view of the nature of 

 the bequest, of the nobleness of the motives of the testator 

 who bequeathed it, of the high scientific purposes for which 

 it was given to the United States ; in view of the great trust 

 and confidence that was reposed by the testator in the Gov- 

 ernment, and in the United States, and in our countrj^; and 

 in view of the fact that this fire that resulted in the burning 

 of the Smithsonian building arose from the imposition of 

 a duty that did not appertain to that institution at all, the 

 United States Government ought to hold itself bound by 

 every obligation to keep the bequest at its original value; 

 and that is all that is proposed. 



The Presiding Officer, (Mr. Foot in the chair.) The 

 question is on the amendment of the Senator from Illinois 

 to the amendment of the committee. 



The amendment to the amendment was rejected. 



The amendment of the committee was adopted; there 

 being, on a division — ayes twenty-one, noes not counted. 



The Presiding Officer, The amendments reported by 

 the Committee on Finance are all disposed of. 



Mr. Hale. I find we have got another Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution on a smaller scale in this bill that I want to get rid 

 of. I move to strike out the following clause : 



For publishing the annual report of the National Academy of Sciences, 

 made to Congress, under the act approved March 3, 1863, $6,000. 



If there is no objection to striking it out, I have nothing 

 to say. 



The amendment was agreed to. 



March 7, 1865. — Mr. Foot ofiiered the following resolu- 

 tion : 



Resolved, That the President of the Senate appoint a Eegent of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, on the part of the Senate, in the vacancy now existing 

 in the Board of Eegents. 



The President pro tempore appointed Mr. Fessenden. 



March 8, 1865. — Mr. Anthony. I oft'er a resolution in 

 connection with the report of the Smithsonian Institution. 

 It is the usual annual resolution on the subject, and has 

 received the assent of the Committee on Printing, and need 

 not, therefore, be referred to that committee : 



Resolved, That 5,000 additional copies of the report of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, for 1864, be printed ; 3,000 for the use of the Senate, and 2,000 

 for the use of the Smithsonian Institution : Provided, That the a2;gregate 

 number of pages in said report shall not exceed 450, without wood-curs or 



