PROPOSED APPLICATIONS OF SMITHSON'S 

 BEQUEST. 



Letter addressed by Hon. John Forsyth, Secretary of State, by direction of 

 President Van Buren to Messrs. Thomas Cooper, South Carolina ; Rich, 

 ard Rush, Philadelphia ; Professor Francis Wayland, Providence, Rhode 

 Island; Albert Oallatin, New York; Rev. Stephen Olin, Boydton, Vir- 

 ginia; Philip Lindsley, Nashville, Tennessee; Professor Davis, Char- 

 lottesville, Virginia. 



Department of State, 



"Washington, Juli/ 19, 1838. 



Sir : By the will of James Smithson, late of London, 

 ■deceased, property to a considerable amount was bequeathed 

 to the LTnited States, for the purpose, as expressed in the 

 language of the will, of "founding at Washington, under 

 the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment 

 for the increase and dift'usion of knowledge among men." 



The United States having, under the authority of an act 

 of Congress, approved the 1st of July, 1836, accepted the 

 legacy, pledged their faith for the performance of the trust, 

 in such manner as Congress may hereafter direct, and re- 

 covered the proceeds of the bequest, to the amount of about 

 one hundred thousand pounds sterling, the President is 

 anxious, in presenting the subject to Congress for their con- 

 sideration and action upon it, to aid his judgment by con- 

 sulting the views of persons versed in science and in mat- 

 ters relating to public education, as to the mode of apply- 

 ing the proceeds of the bequest, which shall be likely at 

 once to meet the wishes of the testator, and prove most 

 advantageous to mankind. 



The President will be pleased to have, if agreeable to you 

 to give it, the result of your reflections on the subject, com- 

 municated through this Department, at as early a day as 

 convenient. 



I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



John Forsyth. 



837 



