THIRTY-SIXTH CONGRESS, 1859-1861. 615 



Mr. Pearce. These words were improperly put in. That appro- 

 priation is the one which we make annually. These collections were 

 all in the Patent Office, and as the Department of the Interior wanted 

 the Patent Office for other purposes, provision was made by law for 

 transferring these collections to the Smithsonian Institution, the Gov- 

 ernment paying the expense. The annual expense is about $4:,000. 

 By a mistake the word ""distribution"' was put in the bill as it came 

 from the House of Representatives. This money is wanted for the 

 preservation of the collections and not for their distribution; and 

 therefore we move to strike out the words "and distribution." 



The motion to strike out was agreed to. 



The Secretary read the next amendment of the Committee on 

 Finance, which was to strike out lines 223 to 226, inclusive, in the fol- 

 lowing words: 



For the preservation of the collections of the exploring and surveying expeditions 

 of the Government, and the construction of suitahle cases to receive said collections, 

 $6,000. 



Mr. Grimes. Mr. President — 



Mr. Fessenden. Striking out these words will accomplish the Sen- 

 ator's purpose. 



Mr. Grimes. I do not know that. The bill, as it came from the 

 House of Representatives, furnished an appropriation for the preser- 

 vation of these things. That I am willing shall be done; but 1 am 

 unwilling that a distribution shall be made by which these articles are 

 to 1)0 distributed over the country without Congress specifying the 

 manner in which they shall be distributed. I want to know how they 

 are to be distributed. I am content that they should be distributed; 

 and I think, if there is an excess of them here, they should be distrib- 

 uted in some way, either by allowing persons and institutions in differ- 

 ent portions of the country to come here and obtain them, or else, if 

 you see lit to do so, allowing the Superintendent of the Institution to 

 distribute them; l)ut he should not be permitted to distribute them on 

 any principle of favoritism, as I fear ma}" be the case unless you pro- 

 vide in the law speeitically in what manner they shall be distributed. 

 For instance, we might say that one institution in each State, or two 

 institutions in each State, should be furnished with these specimens, 

 or that they should be distributed to certain specified institutions; 

 but I am unwilling to leave the matter entirely to the discretion of the 

 Secretary of the Interior or the Superintendent of the Smithsonian 

 Institution. 



Mr. Fessenden. My friend from Iowa is a little too fast. If he 

 will look at this amendment he will find that it is merely to strike out 

 the words in lines 223, 224, 225, and 226, for which other words are to 

 be substituted. If these words l)e stricken out, and the others be not 

 substituted, he accomplishes his object. The question he is debating 



