714 CONGRESSIONAL I'KOCEEDINGS. 



he is by intellect among the men in whom my neigh) )orho(Kl has the 

 deepest interest; he belongs to my neighborhood, and so do Professor 

 Gray and Professor Agassiz. They have, by the services they have 

 rendered and are rendering to science, secured the interest not oidy 

 of New England, New York, but the interest of the whole world. 

 And there is no better principle, Mr. Speaker, upon which to select 

 these men than to search diligently for the best and put them in 

 these places. We therefore thought it best upon the whole to make 

 this report and secure its adoption l)y the House if we could. 



Mr. S. S. Cox. I ask the gentlemen from Ohio to yield to me for a 

 moment. 



Mr. Monroe. I was going to demand th(^ previous question on this 

 matter, but I will yield to the gentleman from New York. 1 recog- 

 nize his right to be heard. 



Mr. Cox. I would not intrude my voice on the House on this ques- 

 tion but for the fact that for some dozen of years I have been more or 

 less associated with this Smithsonian regency; and I would say to the 

 House we have never had any special need for men of financial ability, 

 at least since I have been a Regent of the Smithsonian Institution. Our 

 affairs have been conducted with economy. There has been no surplus 

 which has not been used in a proper way, and there has been no defi- 

 ciency. I supposed the Board of Regents had sent in the name of Mr. 

 Stewart in place of Mr. Astor after some consultation with him, but I 

 learn this committee has withdrawn the name of Mr. Stewart on the 

 simple suggestion that his health is not good. 



I propose to amend the amendment offered by the gefltlemau from 

 Tennessee so as to replace the name of Mr. Alexander T. Stewart, of 

 New York; and 1 do it for this reason: There is no special need or 

 requirement for the presence of these Regents at Washington except 

 once or twice a year. There is no special need for any culture in any 

 particular line of science, on the part of some of the Regents at least, 

 for we are supplied with men of that quality in the presidents and pro- 

 fessors of colleges who are now there. But I will say, Mr. Speaker, 

 on behalf of Mr. Stewart, who is perhaps entirely ignorant of these 

 proceedings, that he adds to his great wealth, his wonderful mercan- 

 tile ability, and his skill in finance, rare education and great refine- 

 ment of culture. He would give strength, solidity, firmness, to this 

 Institution. I think the original idea should be carried out and his 

 name replaced. Then we would avoid all these discussions as to the 

 particular localities which have been raised by the gentleman from 

 Tennessee [Mr. Maynard] in the suggestion of a man from that State. 

 I therefore move to amend the amendment of the gentleman from 

 Tennessee by inserting the name of Alexander T. Stewart. 



Mr. Monroe. I now yield five minutes to the gentleman from 

 Pennsylvania [Mr. Storm], a member of the committee, after wliich I 

 propose to call the previous question. 



