TWENTY-SIXTH CONGRESS, 1839-1841. 201 



exertions of a land of serfs to promote the progress of science, avows 

 that he should blush for his own country had he not at hand the evidence 

 of her exertions not less strenuous for the advancement of the same 

 cause. 



The committee of the House, in applying to their own country that 

 sensibility to the national honor which the French journalist attributes 

 to self-love, would gladly seek for its gratification in the same assur- 

 ance that she is not lagging behind in the race of honor, but that, in 

 casting their eyes around over the whole length and breadth of their 

 native land, they must blush to acknowledge that not a single edifice 

 deserving the name of an astronomical observatory is to be seen. 



The bill reported by the committee of this House, at the last session 

 of Congress, bears testimony to their earnest desire that this reproach 

 might be removed from the people of the North American Union. 

 That bill was unaccompanied with a report, because other views of the 

 disposal of the fund bequeathed to the United States by Mr. Smithson 

 had been entertained by the chairman of the joint committee on the 

 part of the Senate, in which views his colleagues of the same commit 

 tee acquiesced. As a compromise of irreconcilable opinions, it became 

 necessary, therefore, to agree that the two bills should be reported 

 together to both Houses; and as it was obvious that the remnant of 

 time to the close of that session would be so absorbed by other and 

 indispensable business that it would be impossible deliberately to 

 discuss either of the bills in the House, and to avoid, in deference 

 to the committee on the part of the Senate, and to their chairman, any 

 unnecessary display of argument against their bill, it was reported by 

 the committee of the House, together with their own bill, without 

 commentary upon either. The object of the chairman of the commit- 

 tee on the part of the Senate, for the disposal of the Smithsonian 

 fund, was the establishment of an institution of learning, or great 

 national university, by the authority of Congress, which would not 

 only absorb the whole bequest, but would require the superaddition 

 of large and frequent appropriations of public moneys for its main- 

 tenance and support. The bill of that committee, reported to the 

 Senate, was actually taken up in that body, and, after deliberate dis- 

 cussion of its merits, was by them rejected. The immediate conse- 

 quence of the interposition of that body upon a subject which had been 

 already several weeks under the consideration of a select committee of 

 this House, was to prevent the possible action of Congress for the ful- 

 fillment, at that session, of the trust committed to them. 



Four members of the committee of the House, at the last session of 

 Congress, are also members of the present committee. Retaining 

 their opinions in favor of the bill then reported by the committee on 

 the part of the House, they see no cause to regret the delay to the 

 final action of Congress upon the disposal of the bequest, occasioned 



