PROPOSED APPLICATIONS OF SMITHSON's BEQUEST. 917 



trifling proportion in the final division of the assets of the 

 Institution. 



Section five provides for the erection of a building, "with 

 rooms or halls for the reception and arrangement, upon a 

 liberal scale," of the following distinct institutions: 1. A 

 *^3Iuseum" of "objects of natural history, including a geo- 

 logical and mineralogical cabinet." 2. A ^'■Gallery of Art,^' 

 to be furnished, probably, with statuary, paintings, engrav- 

 ings, and other costly things in that line. 3. A Library, to 

 which the board may appropriate " not exceeding $25,000 

 per annum." 4, A '■'■ Chemical Laboratory,^' with, the furni- 

 ture necessary for chemical experiments. And finally, '■'■the 

 necessary lecture rooms," requiring lecturers, of course, and 

 constituting, perhaps, the university recommended by Doc- 

 tors Chapin and Wayland, or perchance the corps of politi- 

 cal lecturers proposed by Mr. Rush. 



It appropriates for the building the interest which has 

 already accrued on the fund, namely, $241,129, "together 

 with such sum or sums, out of the annual interest accruing 

 to the Institution, as may, in any year, remain unexpended, 

 after paying the current expenses of the Institution." This 

 is to be much observed. After paying the current expenses, 

 the surplus income may be expended upon the buildings! It would 

 seem that something should be reserved to " diftuse knowl- 

 edge among men," and that such surplus might be so ap- 

 propriated. Ilowever, as there are at least four distinct 

 institutions to be provided for out of the paltry income of 

 $30,910, the surplus will not be worth contending about. 



Of the subordinate officers, one only is specified — "the 

 secretary of the Board of Regents" — who is authorized, 

 with the consent of the board, to appoint assistants. Their 

 number is not specified. Each of the four institutions will 

 require at least one officer of its own. To purchase, judi- 

 ciously, $25,000 worth of books, would require one or two 

 competent agents. Virtuosi would be wanted to make col- 

 lections for the museum and gallery of art. To these must 

 be adde<l a retinue of servants, and interminable expenses 

 incident to foreign and domestic agencies, and inseparable 

 from so magnificent an assemblage of establishments. 



The financial aspect of this law presents some remarkable 

 features. The original fund is invested in the treasury, and 

 yields an income of $30,910. Of this income $25,000, may 

 be annually expended in books. A museum and gallery of 

 art, " on a liberal scale " — on a scale worthy of a great na- 

 tion, and similar to other national institutions of the kind 

 abroad — would require at least as much more ; for, if the 



