634 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



Mr. J. S. Morrill, of Vermont. I dislike to oppose the motion of 

 the gentleman from Indiana, because I believe he is sincerely desirous 

 of saving- money to the Government. But in relation to this particu- 

 lar item I think he labors under a slight mistake. Now it is true that 

 all our naval officers are instructed, or at least are in the habit of con- 

 tributing every year to a very great extent specimens of natural 

 history which are deposited in the Smithsonian Institution. This 

 Institution also receives a large collection of specimens in natural his- 

 tory from the various surveying and exploring expeditions. So large 

 has been the receipts b}^ this Institution of these specimens that the}^ 

 have supplied many of the scientific associations in the country. This 

 appropriation, therefore, is not for the benefit of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution particularly, but to enable them to take care of and distribute 

 these contributions that are now deposited there, and which they would 

 be very glad to be relieved from the care of. It is but a small item, 

 and, so far as I know, the only one we make for the benefit of science. 

 I hope it will not be stricken out. 



Mr. HoLMAN. I ask the gentleman whether a very large amount from 

 the interest annually paid upon the Smithsonian fund is not absorbed 

 in salaries? I understand that $6,500 is paid annually in the shape of 

 salaries to the Secretar}^ and his assistants. It is true that the amount 

 does not come out of the Government directly, but it comes out of the 

 money to sustain that Institution, of which some $30,000 is appropri- 

 ated by the Government annually. 



Mr. Morrill, of Vermont. I answer the gentleman that the expend- 

 iture of the Smithsonian Institution fund is under the control and 

 direction of the Regents of that Institution, and, I suppose, they are 

 responsible for the manner in which those funds are expended. So 

 far as I know their management does not fully meet my approbation, 

 and if we have the power I should certainly be willing to ask for a 

 reform in the management of that Institution. But this is an entirely 

 separate and distinct matter. 



Mr. Schuyler Colfax. I move to reduce the appropriation $1,000. 

 I make this motion merely for the purpose of saying that I hope the 

 gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Cox], who is one of the Regents of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, will take care of my colleague [Mr. Holman] 

 in this matter, and that he will defend the Institution from the attacks 

 upon it from that side of the House. 



Mr. Holman. I wish to ask my colleague whether in the expendi- 

 tures of the $30,000 annually appropriated to supply the funds of this 

 Institution there is any feature more entirel}' popular in its character 

 or better calculated to carry out the purposes for which the original 

 grant was made than the preservation and enlargement of the museum 

 of the Institution ? 



Mr. Colfax. I say to my colleague that I concur with him in the 



