FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS, 1885-1887. 1009 



GRANT RELICS. 

 February 18, 1886— Senate. 



Mr. Justin S. Morrill introducod a joint resolution (S. 46): 



Whereas William H. Vanderbilt and Julia Dent Grant, by deed of trust executed 

 on the 10th day of January, 1885, presented to the United States certain swords, 

 medals, paintings, bronzes, portraits, commissions and addresses, and objects of 

 value and art presented by various Governments in the world to Gen. Ulysses S. 

 Grant as tokens of their high appreciation of his illustrious character as a soldier and 

 a statesman: Therefore, 



Resolved, etc., That the United States accept, with grateful acknowledgments, the 

 said property and articles, more fully described in the schedule attached to said deed 

 of trust, to be held by the United States and preserved and protected in the city of 

 AVashington for the use and inspection of the people of the United States. 



Sec. 2. That the said property and articles be placed under the custody of the 

 Director of the National 31useum; and he is hereby directed to receive the same for 

 safe-keeping therein. 



Referred to Committee on the Library. 



There was also referred to this committee a letter, presented b}' Mr. 

 J. S. Morrill: 



February 10, 1886. 



Sir: There is at present in the custody of the Secretary of AVar a collection of 

 objects which belonged to General Grant and have become the property of the 

 United States. I would respectfully suggest the desirability of taking steps to secure 

 the transfer of these objects to the Smithsonian Institution for exhibition in the 

 National Museum. It seems hardly necessary for me to call your attention to the 

 fact that by the act to establish the Smithsonian Institution (Rev. Stat. , Title LXXIII, 

 sections 5579-5594) it is provided "that all objects of art and curious and foreign 

 research * * * belonging or hereafter to belong to the United States which may 

 be in the city of AVashington shall be delivered to the Regents of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, together with new specimens obtained by exchange, donation, and other- 

 wise, and * * * shall be so arranged and classified as best to facilitate their 

 examination and study" (Rev. Stat., section 5586), and by subsequent enactment 

 (Stat., Forty-fifth Congress, third session, chap. 182, p. 394) the National Museum 

 was designated the place of deposit. 



This act has therefore in the past been always construed to mean that the National 

 Museum is the proper place for the exhibition of articles given by foreign Govern- 

 ments to the President or to other officials. In 1883 the Secretary of the Interior 

 caused the entire collection of AA'^ashington relics, which had for many years been dis- 

 played in the Patent Office, together with the Lewis collection of AA'^ashington relics, 

 which had been bought by Congress, to be transferred to the Museum. President 

 Hayes and President Cleveland have also sent to the Museum objects presented to 

 them by foreign Governments, and the Toledo sword, presented by the Republic of 

 Spain to General Grant, was by him placed with the objects which have since been 

 transferred from the Patent Office. Among the other Presidential gifts I may men- 

 tion objects given to Presidents Jefferson, Jackson, A"an Buren, and Taylor. I may 

 also speak of the extensive Japanese collection given by the Government of Japan to 

 the United States, through its representative, Commodore Perry, and numerous per- 

 sonal souvenirs of civil, military, and naval officers of the United States. 



The north hall of the National Museum has been assigned to the collection of his- 

 H. Doc. 732 64 



