THE GENESIS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 333 



Of the twelve votes cast at tbe election December 3, 1846, seven were 

 in favor of Prof. Henry, five for persons who. had been officers of the 

 old National Institute, and closely associated with its policy. 



A bare majority — for the change of one vote would have made a tic — 

 tlieu placed itself on the side of the Henry x^olicy. In its report tlie 

 Committee ou Organization speaks plainly of "two great conflicting 

 opinions" in the Board, for the harmonizing of wliicli the "comr>ro- 

 mise" so often referred to during the struggle of tiie following six 

 years. 



One party was in favor of devoting the larger i)art of the income to 

 the library and museum. 



The other party favored rather the publication of scientific memoiis, 

 grants for the promotion of original researches, and the maintenance of 

 a lecture system.* 



The "compromise'' consisted in the division of the annual income 

 into two nearly cfjual parts, to be applied to the two classes of expend- 

 itures, $15,000 to library and museum and the remainder ($15,910) to 

 publication, research, and lectures.! 



On one subject, however, the Regents seem to have been unanimous, 

 and to have given their opinion in the following resolution: 



Resolved, That it is the intention of the act of Congress and in ac- 

 cordance with the design of Mr. Smithson, as expressed in his will, 

 thiit one of the principal modes of executing the act and the trust is 

 the accumulation of collections of specimens and objects of natural 

 historyl and of elegant art, and the gradual formation of a library of 

 valuable works pertaining to ail dejtartments of human knowledge, to 

 the end that a copious storehouse of materials of science, literature, 

 and art may be provided, which shall excite and diffuse tlie love of 

 learning among men, and shall assist the original investigations and 

 etforts of those who may devote themselves to the pursuit of any 

 branch of knowledge.§ 



The great building which, by the terms of this charter, the Smith- 

 sonian Regents were re(piested to erect and pay for was to l>e " of suf- 

 ficient size and with suitable rooms or halls for the reception and 

 arrangement upon a libcr<iJ scale of objects of natural history, includ- 

 ing a geological and mineralogical cabinet, a chemical lal)oratory, a 

 library, a gallery of art, and the necessary lecture rooms;" and this 

 was coupled with the accompanying provision, that, " in juoportion as 

 suitable arrangements can be made for their reception," all objects 



To tb(! library aud iiiusL'iuii ]>arty belonged without doubt Senator Cboate, Mr. 

 Owen, and probably ]S[r. liiish and ({en. Totten. Avho were l)oth devoted to tbe inter- 

 ests of the National Institute. Mr. Bache was, I suppose, the leader of the 

 opposition. 



t Report of ('oniiuittee on Or<i,anization, p. 21. 



t In this resolution for the Hrst time the term natural hisiori/ is given its proper 

 scope, as including not only zoology and botany, but geology, mineralogy, and eth- 

 nology, although ill the report of the coniuiittee a distiqctjoi> seems to have heeo 

 ijiade, probably for the i)urpose of better definition, 



^ Report yl" r'pmwitte? on (H'gf^ni^'vitiWj i^ iO. 



