464 CONGRESSIONAL PEOCEEDINGS. 



Mr. Davis explained the necessity for the immediate passage of the 

 resolution, as a meeting of the Regents would take place on Wednes- 

 day', and it was important that the Board should be fully organized. 



Passed. 



December 11, 1848 — House. 



The joint resolution of the Senate for the appointment of Regents in 

 the Smithsonian Institution was taken up and passed. 



December 19, 1848. 



Resolved, etc., That the vacancies"] in the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, of the class "other than members of Congress," be tilled by the 

 reappointment of the late incumbents, viz: Rufus Choate, of Massachusetts, and 

 Gideon Hawley, of New York. 



(Stat. IX, 417.) 



REPORT OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 



January 5, 1848 — House. 



The Speaker (Mr. R. C. Winthrop) laid before the House a report 

 from the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, showing the opera- 

 tions, expenditures, and condition of that Institution for the past year. 



Mr, John W. Houston, of Delaware, moved to lay the report on 

 the table, and that it be printed. 



Mr. Andrew Johnson, of Tennessee, called for a division of the 

 question, so as to take the question separately on each branch of the 

 motion. 



The question was divided accordingly, and the report was ordered 

 to be laid on the table. The question then recurring on the motion to 

 print — 



Mr. Johnson, of Tennessee, opposed the printing at present. The 

 House saw, in the proposition to print this cumbrous document, a 

 beginning of what had been anticipated by some who were opposed to 

 this Institution. Here was a long report, accompanied by many docu- 

 ments, and this House was called upon to print them, and he expected 

 they would have a proposition soon to print an extra number. It was 

 true the law establishing this Institution provides that the Regents 

 should make a report to the House, but before this report was printed, 

 before an order to print was made, the Committee on the Smithsonian 

 Institution ought to be established and ought to report to the House 

 the propriety of having this report and the accompanying documents 

 printed. 



Perhaps it might be considered by some, as he from the beginning 

 had opposed this Institution, that he had some personal dislike to those 

 connected with it, or that he was operated upon from some other 

 unworthy consideration, that produced his opposition to it. He availed 

 himself of this occasion to disavow anything of this kind. He wanted 

 this committee established; he wanted everything connected with this 



