396 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



would in good time and in good faith redeem tlieir obligations and 

 refund evory dollar that had been loaned to them. 



He now approached the main question. Much had been said in 

 praise of the munificent and splendid liberality of James Smithson. 

 It had been said that, animated by a spirit of benevolence to his race, 

 he had made his will, constituted the Government of the United States 

 his trustee to carry out his intentions, and had dedicated to the noble 

 purpose of the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men an* 

 entire estate, under the management of the Government of the United 

 States. It was not his (Mr. Sims) disposition, nor was it his wont, nor 

 would it become him to speak in terms of reproach of one who now 

 slept under the sod. But he must be permitted to say tTiat none of 

 these feelings of pride and admiration which seemed to glow in the 

 bosoms of some gentlemen in contemplating the will of Mr. Smithson 

 found an echo in his (Mr. Sims) heart. He saw in the will of that 

 intlividual what he had seen in the wills of many other men. After 

 having griped, through their lives, every shilling that came into their 

 hands, animated at last by some posthumous vanity, the}^ sought to 

 build up a name which should live after them; and such, rather than 

 any feeling for humanity, so much lauded, was the motive that guided 

 them. In the present case he saw abundant evidence of this disposi- 

 tion in the appointment of the Government of the United States as a 

 trustee to carry out this splendid vanity. 



Mr. Sims then proceeded to contend that the Government was not 

 instituted for any such purposes as the administration of charities. 

 There was no grant of power in the Constitution admitting such an 

 exercise. And as there was no such power, and as this fund was still 

 under our control, and as the trust had not been executed, it became 

 Congress to pause, and to retrace, so far as possible, the errors it 

 had already committed. There was but one power in the Constitution 

 under which this charity could be administered, and that was as a local 

 legislature for the District of Columbia. But that would not fall 

 within the intention and design of the testator. It was not intended 

 that this fund should be applied to the exclusive purpose of the use 

 of the District of Columbia. The only true course would be to reject 

 all these plans, including the substitute which had been offered by the 

 gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Adams]; and if this were done, 

 he (Mr. Sims) pledged himself that, should no other member do so, 

 he would introduce a bill repealing all laws heretofore enacted on this 

 subject, and giving authority and direction for the restoration of the 

 money to the British chancery. It could then be devoted to purposes 

 in England similar to those which had been contemplated in the city 

 of Washington. The only difference would be in the location of the 

 institution. 



Mr. J. Q. Adams said, in this matter he was in favor of carrying 



