THIRTY-FOURTH CONGRESS, 1855-1857. 599 



may, indeed, serve sometimes as a stimulus, but I believe that the his- 

 tory of science shows that such rewards are generally valuable as 

 rewards rather than as incentives. The hope of having results pub- 

 lished with the stamp of high approval ma}' operate as an incentive to 

 effort; but incentives, especially in this country, are less needed than 

 means and aids, and a library is one of the most effectual and, espe- 

 cially in this country, the most needed as a means and aid to exertion 

 in the advancement of knowledge. 



Mi". Chairman, on this last day of the session I have not the time to 

 produce the multitude of considerations which crowd upon me on this 

 subject, but I am happy to be able to present those most important in 

 the lucid argument and appropriate language of the select committee. 



[Mr. Meacham then gave copious extracts from the report of Mr. 

 Upham, the whole of which will be found in preceding pages.] 



ARMORY BUILDING. 



March 3, 1855. 



Civil and diplomatic act for 1856. 



And the Secretary of War be, and he hereby is, directed to cause to 

 be constructed on such site, in a central position on the public grounds, 

 in the city of Washington, as may be selected by the President of the 

 United States, a suitable building^ for the care and preservation of 

 the ordnance, and arms, and accoutrements of the United States, 

 required for the use of the volunteers and militia of the District of 

 Columbia, and for the care and preservation of the military trophies 

 of the Revolutionary and other wars, and for the deposit of newly- 

 invented and model arms, for the military service, and said ordnance 

 and arms, and the building to be used by the volunteers and militia of 

 the District of Columbia, under such regulations as may be prescribed 

 by the President, and for the purpose of cariying this act into effect, 

 the sum of $30,000 be, and the same hereb}' is, appropriated out of 

 any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. 



(Stat., X, 665). 



THIRTY-FOURTH CONGRESS, 1855-1867. 



OPERATIONS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 



January 28, 1856— Senate. 



Mr. Lyman Trumbull presented a memorial from a committee 

 appointed at the Illinois State educational convention, praying for a 

 grant of land to each State in the Union, for the purpose of endowing 



^ Designated afterwards the Armory building. 



