TWENTY-FOURTH CONGRESS, 1835-1837. 141 



Mr. PRESTON said the declaration of the Senator from New Jersey 

 [Mr. Southard] had satisfied him that this was a national university. 

 There was no difference between a university in the District of Co- 

 lumbia for the benefit of all mankind and a national university. That 

 Senator had not distinguished between the power of erecting build- 

 ings and the use to which the}' are appropriated. They had the power 

 to erect buildings in loco parentis patrim for the benefit of the District 

 of Columbia; they might erect buildings for the maintenance of pau- 

 pers of the District; but if the people of the District, in this case, 

 were to have any benefit peculiar to the place, it was in the erection of 

 the buildings alone. He asked if the buildings of the Post-Office 

 Department were erected by Congress as theparenspatrice of the Dis- 

 trict of Columbia? Had they the right, asparens patrim of the Dis- 

 trict of Columbia, to erect this building for the benefit humani generis 

 of this District, when it was, in fact, a general charity to mankind, 

 including the confederacy, and not confined to the District of Colum- 

 bia \ He was against the power, and would be against the policy, if 

 they had the power. 



After some further remarks from Mr. LEIGH and Mr. PRESTON, the 

 question was taken on ordering the resolution to be engrossed for a 

 third reading, and decided in the affirmative yeas 31, nays 7, as 

 follows: 



Yeas. Messrs. Benton, Black, Buchanan, Clay, Clayton, Crittenden, Cuthbert, 

 Davis, Ewing of Ohio, Goldsboro, Grundy, Hendricks, Hubbard, Kent, King of 

 Alabama, Knight, Leigh, Linn, Mangum, Moore, Naudain, Nicholas, Porter, Pren- 

 tiss, Rives, Robbing, Southard, Swift, Tallmadge, Tomlinson, Walker 31. 



Nays. Messrs. Calhoun, Ewing of Illinois, Hill, King of Georgia, Preston, Rob- 

 inson, White 7. 

 May 2, 1836 Senate. 



Resolution passed. 

 May 10, 1836 House. 



The resolution (S. No. 4) from the Senate was committed to the 

 Committee of the Whole. 



A motion was made by Mr. J. QUINCY ADAMS that the rule be sus- 

 pended to enable him to make a motion that said resolution be the 

 special order of the day on Tuesday, the 17th instant, from 11 o'clock 

 a. m. to 1 p. m. ; which motion to suspend was disagreed to by the 

 House. 

 June 25, 1836 House. 



In Committee of the Whole, Senate resolution No. 4 was considered 

 and amended. 



The amendments made in Committee of the Whole, one of which 

 amendments changed the Senate resolution into the form of a bill to 

 authorize the President of the United States to assert and prosecute 

 the right of the United States to the legacy of James Smithson, late 

 of London, were reported to the House, and were concurred in. 



The bill was passed. 



