THIRTIETH CONGRESS, 1847-1849. 461 



December 12, 1848— House. 



The Speaker (Mr. R. C. Winthrop) announced the call for petitions 

 to be in order, and the call having reached the State of Louisiana — 



Mr. Isaac H. Morse observed that he did not rise to present a petition 

 from the State of Louisiana, but to a privileged question, and he 

 asked the attention of the House for a few moments. It was to the 

 reconsideration of the vote on that part of the resolution for the 

 adoption of the rules of the House which rejected the application 

 for a commission on the Smithsonian Institution. He thought, with- 

 out entering into any argument on this subject, that the House would 

 see the propriety of appointing a committee, in order to meet the 

 views expressed by the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Marsh), as well 

 as by the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Rhett). And he had 

 no doubt that those of their friends on this side of the House who 

 desired to terminate all connection between the Government and this 

 Institution would see as well the propriety of submitting this matter 

 to a committee who would be authorized, without further instruction, 

 to examine and see whether it would not be better, and whether it 

 would not be carrying out the trust which the Government had sol- 

 emnly accepted from the late James Smithson, to hand over all the 

 moneys which had been received by the United States to an incorpo- 

 rated body, who should have the sole charge of the funds arising from 

 this legacy. Such of the gentlemen on the other side of the House as 

 thought the affairs of the Institution would be better managed under 

 the surveillance of a committee must be of the opinion that it would 

 be well to bring to the knowledge of the House the true, exact state of 

 that Institution. It was true a very elaborate, a very able report had 

 been made by the Regents; but it was an ex parte report, so far as the 

 interests of this country and the House were concerned. Let a com- 

 mittee be appointed of capable men who should take the matter into 

 consideration, and see whether the ends of the donor would be best 

 carried out by keeping it under the control of this Government, or 

 whether they would not faithfully discharge their trust, after having 

 passed a law for the erection of suitable buildings, by disembarrassing 

 the Government and the House from all connection with the Institu- 

 tion. He held it to be a responsible duty which this House had taken 

 upon itself, and whatever might have been the opinion of gentlemen 

 on this side of the House as to the propriety of accepting the legacy, 

 it was now too late to interpose any objections on that score. The 

 two Houses of Congress were under solemn obligation faithfully to 

 discharge the duty which, as the trustees of the people of the United 

 States and of James Smithson, they had undertaken; and that duty 

 could only be discharged by referring the matter to a committee, 

 impartial in its character, capable of examining, who should report 

 the facts to this House as to the future conduct of this Institution. 



