MEMOIRS OF JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. 767 



but that Wise and I had voted for the bill establishing the 

 agency. 



June 22, 1838. 



Dr. Chapin, President of the Columbian College in the 

 District of Columbia, with Dr. Sherwood, one of the pro- 

 fessors of that institution, called on me this morning to 

 gpeak about the Smithsonian bequest. Mr. Rush has recov- 

 ered the money — half a million of dollars — and is expected 

 with it here in the course of the next month. Dr. Chapin 

 represented that if this money should be applied to the 

 foundation of a college or university, it must necessarily 

 efiect the total destruction of his college. 



I told him that after the passage of the act of Congress 

 for procuring the money, I had not permitted myself to think 

 upon the subject till the money should be in the Treasury; 

 that I hoped, however, no disposal of the fund would be 

 made which would in any manner injure the Columbian 

 College ; that T did not think the Smithsonian Institution 

 should be a college, or a university, or a school of educa- 

 tion for children, but altogether of a different character; 

 that, as the money would come into the hands of the exec- 

 utive, I hoped the President would in his next annual 

 message propose some plan for the adoption of Congress for 

 the disposal of the fund; and I advised Dr. Chapin to see 

 the President and converse with him on the subject — which 

 he said he would. 



June 24, 1838. 



Attended at St. John's Church. I spoke to President 

 Van Buren, and asked half an hour's conversation with him 

 at six o'clock this evening; to which he acceded. I went 

 to the President's, and, putting into his hand the letter which 

 I have received in duplicate from R. Push of 15th May, re- 

 quested him to read it. I then had a conversation of nearly 

 two hours with him upon the Smithsonian bequest, referring 

 to my report, and entreating him to have a plan prepared 

 to recommend to Congress for the foundation of the Insti- 

 tution at the commencement of the next session of Congress. 

 I suggested to him the establishment of an astronomical 

 observatory^ with a salary for an astronomer and assistant, 

 for nightly observations and periodical publication ; then 

 annual courses of lectures upon the natural, moral, and 

 political sciences; and, above all, no jobbing — no sinecures 

 — no monkish stalls for lazy idlers. 



Mr. Van Buren received all this with complacency and 

 apparent concurrence of opinion ; said he would look into 



