TWENTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS, J843-1845. 309 



for they are already elected and always, by virtue of their office, ready 

 to act. The committee then provided that three members of the Sen- 

 ate should be named by the presiding officer in the same way that he 

 named standing committees; and that three members of the House of 

 Representatives in like manner should be appointed by the Speaker 

 of the House. These six members would form a joint standing com- 

 mittee and have charge of the institution in Congress, for the com- 

 mittee decided that Congress should hold in its own hands the control 

 and supervision of the institution. Thus Congress would have the 

 interests of the institution immediately represented on the floor of 

 both Houses. In addition to those eight ex officio members of the 

 board, there would be seven persons to be selected by Congress — two 

 of them from the resident members of the National Institute, the 

 remainder from different States of the Union. Hereafter these seven 

 are to be elected by joint resolution of Congress every two years. 

 This would afford an opportunity of electing gentlemen distinguished 

 as men of science and learning, who, from the respect entertained for 

 them, would be able to enlist the most friends for the institution and 

 would have the best opportunities of making the citizens of the LTnion 

 acquainted with its objects and advantages. 



There was another consideration which he was sure would, upon 

 reflection, have some weight with the Senator from New Hampshire, 

 and, he hoped, induce him to forego his amendment. It was, that in 

 looking at the two propositions with a view of ascertaining which 

 was most republican, most democratic in principle, he would find 

 that of the committee infinitely more so than his own. It was cer- 

 tainly antirepublican and antidemocratic to surrender all control of 

 the people's representatives in respect to a trust especially committed 

 to their custody for the people's benefit and place it in the hands of a 

 close body like the National Institute, wholly irresponsible to either 

 Congress or the people — a body the machinery and operations of 

 which, so far as regarded the people, were shut out from their view 

 and to which they could of right have no access. On the other hand, 

 the proposition of the committee recognized especially, and in a pre- 

 eminent degree, the complete control and supervision of the people's 

 representatives and insured that publicity which could not fail of 

 gaining public confidence in the management of the institution and 

 universal approbation as to the attainment of the purpose for which 

 the bequest was made. 



Mr. Woodbury expressed some surprise that his amendment should 

 be attacked by the Senator from Massachusetts [Mr. Choate] as anti- 

 republican or antidemocratic. Such an attack from that quarter was, 

 in any view, extraordinary; but much more so when, in this very bill, 

 in another place, six of the members of his proposed board are recom- 

 mended by him to be appointed not by the two Houses of Congress 



