710 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



of magiietisin, which iiuulc that iiiaguiliotMit invention .serviceable to 

 mankind, which has rendered the name of American science illustrious, 

 came from the previous researches and investigations of Professor 

 Henry, who brought from the vast treasure-house of science that 

 knowledge of the laws of nature which the invention of Morse made 

 useful for the practical benefit of mankind. Now, in order to deter 

 unne what papers are proper to be published, or what kind of inves 

 ligations, among the large niunber that are offered to the Smithsonian 

 Institution, will be useful for the advancement of science, you should 

 have anion^- the members of that board persons who are authority in 

 particular departments of science. They are not selecti^d as a public 

 honor to the persons themselves; they are not selected for the pur 

 pose of recognizing the claims of or of stimulating interest in the 

 Institution in different portions of the country; but men are selected 

 whom Professor Henry and his associates in that Institution deem 

 competent to decide in regard to the particular scientific investigations 

 which it may be desired to make. For instance, my distinguished 

 friend from Tennessee [Mr. Maynard] proposed the name of Professor 

 Snell, of Amherst College, in place of the late Professor Agassiz. 

 Professor Snell, of Amherst College, is one of the most eminent 

 scholars of my State; a pure, earnest, modest devotee of learning, 

 who has made a thousand contributions to science from which he has 

 received no benefit. But Professor Snell's life has been devoted to 

 the investigation of optics, magnetism, and certain branches of nat- 

 ural science, which are also the special .pursuits of Professor Henrj^, 

 thr Secretar}^ and Director of the Institution; and it is not important, 

 therefore, to add at this moment to the force of the Smithsonian Insti 

 tution another gentleman who will be an authority on matters of 

 optics, magnetism, galvanism, etc. But one thing on which Professor 

 Agassiz, just deceased, was the great authority in this countiy and 

 the world was natural history, including the growth of animals, the 

 origin of species, the growth of plants, of trees, etc., and this is a 

 matter in regard to which the science of the world is especially busy 

 ing itself at the present time, and of a knowledge of which the prac 

 tical need of this country is the greatest. 



The prairie lands of the Northwest, which lie between the dense set 

 tlements of the Atlantic and the Pacific, are in need of the scientific 

 information — as my friend [Mr. Kelley], who does me the honor to 

 listen to me, knows very well — which may cover those lands with 

 forests, with shade trees, with vegetation. Professor Gray is, per- 

 haps, the greatest authority in the world on that special matter. Now, 

 how idle, how unwise, it would l)e for the members of this House to 

 say that, because Colorado or Wyoming are to be represented on the 

 Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, they may appoint 

 some man from those Territories rather than appoint Professor Gray, 



