THIRTY-ETGHTH CON-GRESS, 1863-1865. 651 



on this debt, which is no dc])t at all, when we pay those who fight our 

 battles and shed their blood in our defense in currency. I hope the 

 amendment will not be adopted. 



Mr. Thomas A. Hendricks. The Committee on Public Buildings 

 and Grounds investigated this subject to some extent, and became 

 entirely satisfied, with the exception of the Senator from Iowa, I 

 believe, that this interest ought to be paid in gold. I am very glad 

 to hear the statement of the Senator from Iowa. I am glad he is able 

 to prove that this Institution is in good condition. I am gratified 

 that he has shown it has full funds, with an accumulation of $75,000 

 in Indiana bonds — a sure and reliable fund — and something against 

 the State of Virginia. I shall be gratified each session while I have 

 the honor of serving along with him to hear him make as good a state- 

 ment of the Smithsonian Institution as he has to-night. 



He says it is a rich institution. I am glad of that. I was once a 

 member of the Indiana legislature, and every now and then I heard 

 some representative or senator talking about the bloated corporations 

 of the State; and we all had it in our heads that the wealth of the cor- 

 porations, in some way or other, was made off our constituents, and 

 therefore, to some extent, we were justified in making war upon them, 

 for the}^ were men that made their gains off the people. But this is 

 not the case with the corporation that the Senator now styles a wealthy 

 corporation. No money to fill the coffers of that Institution came from 

 the good people of Iowa. 



Mr. J. W. Grimes. Not until we pay them ingold 162,000 in place 

 of $31,000, while we pay to Iowa soldiers, as the Senator from New 

 Hampshire well said, only $6.50 in gold. Then it will come oft' my 

 constituents. 



Mr. Hendricks. As I was going on to say, all the rich funds of 

 that Institution came not from the people of Iowa or of Indiana. It 

 was a munificent grant from a foreigner, Mr. Smithson, for the pur- 

 pose of establishing in this country an institution for the acquisition 

 and dift'usion of useful knowledge among men. That $500,000 was 

 received not in paper, but in gold, coming from a kind friend of this 

 country across the water. If, therefore, the Institution is rich it is 

 well for us; if it were poor it would be a disgrace to us to-day. 



Mr. Grimes. I think the Senator is mistaken in the language used 

 in the will, and I think that in that respect the managers of it have 

 been true to the direction of the testator. It was not '' useful 

 knowledge among men," but " knowledge among men." 



Mr, Hendricks. Well, sir, whether knowledge is useful or not I 

 will not undertake to discuss now. The purpose of the })equest was 

 to establish in this country an institution for the diffusion of knowl- 

 edge, or useful knowledge, among men. I think the language used 

 was "useful knowledfre." Whether the knowledge that is diffused 



