1030 CONGRESSIONAL PBGCEEDINftS. 



Mr. Sewell. Does the chairimin of the Appropriations Committee 

 say that no appropriation is made for the Smithsonian Institution? 



Mr. Allison. 1 think not. 



Mr. Sewell. Are none of the officers' salaries paid by Congress? 



Mr. Allison. Not that I know of. 



Mr. George F. Hoar. It seems to me that it might be very well at the 

 beginning of the next session of Congress to have a slight amendment 

 to the rules, by which all questions relating to the National Museum 

 and the Smithsonian Institution, and perhaps some kindred matters, 

 so far as a change in their work is proposed, should be referred to the 

 Committee on the Library. But I do not say that that would justify 

 the present criticism, because I suppose that committee would no 

 more look into the question of the number of clerks to carry out the 

 ordinary work than the Committee on the Judiciary would look into 

 the same question in regard to the Department of Justice. 



Mr. Sewell. I will say to the Senator from Massachusetts that I 

 did not intend to make any criticism at the present time; but at some 

 future time I shall ask that matters in relation to the National Museum 

 and also the Fish Commission shall be referred to or placed under the 

 jurisdiction of the appropriate committees of the Senate. 



Mr. Hoar. That would require a change of the rules. 



Mr. Allison. If the Senator from New Jersey desires that some 

 other committee shall overhaul these bureaus in respect to their 

 appropriations, of course I have no objection to that. If the Com- 

 mittee on Appropriations have not carefully scrutinized the amounts 

 of these appropriations, I trust the Senator will point out where the 

 committee has been negligent. 



Mr. Sewell. I did not intend to make any reflection of that kind. 

 In the end we all have confidence in the Committee on Appropriations 

 for running the Government; but 1 did intend to call the attention of 

 the Senate to the fact that these bureaus were being run without any 

 supervision by a committee of Congress. I shall take, occasion here- 

 after to bring the matter before the Senate. 



July 22, 1886— Senate. 



Mr. William M. Evarts introduced a bill (S. 2871) for the relief 

 of Semon Bache & Co., of New York, the same as reported by Mr. 

 William M. Springer in House of Representatives, July 17, 1886. 



Referred to Committee on Claims. 



July 22, 1886. 



Lettei' from Secretary S. F. Baird to Hon. W. C. Whitthorne., Com- 

 TYiittee on Claims^ United States Senate. 



While the Institution is in no wise liable for the debt to Semon, Bache & Co. on 

 the part of the Government, it can not properly throw off the moral responsibility 

 resting upon the establishment to do everything in its power to secure payment of 

 the obligation. 



