350 CONGRESSIONAL PEOCEEDINGS. 



Strike out all the bill after the word *' be " iu the sixth line of the 

 first section and insert: 



Paid by the Secretary of the Treasury to the heirs at law or next of kin of the 

 said James Smithson, or their authorized agents, whenever tliey sliall demand the 

 same: Provided, That the Secretary of the Treasury shall, in paying over said money 

 as herein directed, deliver to said heirs all State bonds or other stocks of every kind 

 which have been purchased with said money, or any part thereof, in lieu of so much 

 of said money as shall have been so invested in State bonds or other stocks. And 

 the balance of said sum of money, if any, not so invested, shall be paid out of any 

 money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. 



Mr. G. W. Jones said it was not his purpose to make a speech on 

 this occasion; but believing, as he did, that this whole matter was 

 wrong; that this Government, in the first instance, had no right and 

 no power to accept of this trust fund, he was in favor of returning 

 the amount of the money or of the stocks in which that money has 

 been invested, to the heirs at law or next of kin of the late Mr. 

 Smithson, whenever they shall make the demand of the Government. 

 He admitted the right of the Government "to borrow money " under 

 the Constitution, but denied that it had any particle of power to deal 

 in stocks or to loan money. We had no power either to receive this 

 money in the first instance, or to invest it in State stocks and fund it, 

 as this bill proposed to do, in perpetuity upon the Government. He 

 wanted to create no such debt iipon this Government. He was satis- 

 fied that his constituents desired no such debt funded, no such burden 

 imposed upon them. 



But, waiving the objection of the want of power on the part of the 

 Government, he was still opposed to the establishment of an institution 

 like that proposed in the bill under the direction and patronage of the 

 Government of the United States. He would be the last man on this 

 floor to say or do anything on this floor or elsewhere to obstruct the 

 enlightenment and education of the people. He was as thoroughl}^ 

 satisfied of the benefits of education as anybodv, but he could not 

 sanction the establishment of such an institution under the direction 

 of the Government of the United States. Where might it end ? What 

 might such an institution come to be in the course of events^ This 

 $513,000 was to be funded at 6 per cent interest forever. Was there 

 a friend of this measure — was there one who had reflected for a 

 moment on the proposition who believed that when once established 

 they would stop at the appropriation of this 6 per cent interest 

 annually for its support? It was, in his opinion, nothing more than 

 the entering wedge to fastening upon the United States an institution 

 the expenses and appropriations for which would be augmented at 

 almost every session of Congress. 



It was neither the right, the power, or the true policy of the Gov- 

 ernment to attempt to rear up here in the city of Washington an insti- 



