THIRTY-SIXTH CONGRESS, 1859-1861. 613 



manuscripts are, and should not be given to the discretion of this 

 Department. 



Mr. Fessenden. Wh}' not add the words: "in the discretion of the 

 Secretary of the Interior?" 



Mr. Hai.e. There does not seem to be any necessity for the provision 

 at all. 



Tlie Presiding Officer (Mr. Trusten Polk). If no amendment be 

 offered the question will be on the amendment reported from the 

 Committee on Finance. 



Mr. Fessenden. I suppose the amendment may be amended. 



The Presiding Officer. Certainly; but, as the Chair stated, no 

 amendment being offered to it, the question is on the amendment as 

 reported by the committee. 



Mr. R. M. T. Hunter. It seems to me that before we adopt this 

 amendment its friends ought to put some limitation on it by which 

 hereafter the Smithsonian Institution is not to receive these things, 

 for I am afraid it will be the beginning of a system of annual distri- 

 bution like those Patent Office seeds, and may lead us into a large 

 animal expenditure unless there is some limitation. I would be willing 

 to distribute them once if you would put a stop to it there, and there 

 ought to be something done to prevent the receipt of these things 

 hereafter 



Mr. Pearce. The Smithsonian Institution has not the slightest 

 interest in this thing whatsoever, but the Government has for jj'ears — 

 having no other place to put them — sent all these collections to the 

 Smithsonian Institution, which building, large as it is, is very much 

 lumbered up by them. If you keep them there they will be compelled 

 to turn other collections away. There is no room to receive any more. 

 They are enormous in bulk and very numerous. It is desirable to get 

 rid of them, and we can not make a better disposition of them than to 

 send them to colleges and scientific institutions which have already 

 collections of this sort, though imperfect. It is a very remarkable 

 collection of objects in natural history. There is no desire on the 

 part of the Institution to obtain the distribution of this collection. It 

 is a gratuitous thing on their part altogether. This is not for their 

 advantage at all, except so far as it will relieve the building of the 

 incumbrance of such an immense collection, and yet it can never be 

 done except by authority of law. This is the first occasion on which 

 it has been asked. 



Mr. Hunter. I have no idea that this is to the advantage of the 

 Smithsonian Institution. I believe the object of the amendment is a 

 good one; but why not allow them to give these things to those that 

 may apply? Why appropriate money for the purpose of distributing 

 them? Why not allow them to give them to those who may apply, 

 according to their judgment? That would throw the expense upon 



