THIRTY-SIXTH CONGRESS, 1859-1861. 623 



tions. It occurs to my mind that all this labor which we have imposed 

 upon the Smithsonian Institution they have invited. I remember when 

 this exploring expedition came in it was said specimens were brought 

 home that would be valueless to the country unless we put them in the 

 Patent Office. After awhile somebody came and asked that they 

 should be given to the Smithsonian Institution, because, it was said, 

 it would be an attraction to that building, take people there, make it a 

 credit to the country; and we voted for it. After awhile they asked 

 us to give them a certain number of books which scientific persons had 

 written and we had paid for the printing of. The rule used to be that 

 all those books were sent to Congress and distributed by members of 

 Congress; but gentlemen here said we ought not to distribute them; 

 we should give them to the Department of the Interior. Then we 

 gave them to the Patent Office; and then to the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion; and now these gentlemen ask us to pay them for distributing 

 those very things which thev invited us to give them. 



Mr. Pearce. I will ask the Senator to specify what scientific books 

 the Institution has ever asked us to give them ? 



Mr. Cameron. When I think the gentleman has a right to ask a 

 question, I will answer it. I will say to the gentleman now that I 

 want this Institution to sustain itself. There is no reason why we 

 should appropriate money from year to year to keep up that, a bit 

 more than that you should build up a scientific institution in the 

 village where I live. What right has that Institution to come here, 

 and what right have we to expend money to keep up an Institution for 

 the benefit only of those who live by it? The Government has no 

 interest in it. The gentlemen who get their salaries, and who live on 

 the money which old Smithson gave us, have an interest in it, but we 

 have none. I shall vote against it, if nobody else does. 



Mr. Douglas. I think it is unfair for my friend from Maryland to 

 be putting questions to my friend from Pennsylvania, for he is evi- 

 denth" joking in what he says. He is not serious when he talks about 

 the request of the Institution made to Congress for this appropriation 

 and that appropriation. It is contrary to the known history of the 

 Institution, and to the known history of the country. It is a very 

 good joke on the part of the Senator from Pennsylvania; but I really 

 think the Senate are not going to vote down this amendment on the 

 strength of that joke. 



Mr. Cameron. I will merely say, if the gentlemen of that Institu- 

 tion do not want to have the charge of these things, let them give 

 them up. What do we care about stuflfed snakes, alligators, and all 

 such things? 



The Presiding Officer. The question is on the amendment offered 

 by the Senator from North Carolina to the amendment of the com- 

 mittee. 



