TWENTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS, 1843-1845. 297 



Mr. WOODBURY, before the question of striking out the proviso 

 was taken, wished to offer an amendment which might render it more 

 acceptable. He moved the substitute for the words "consist of" the 

 words "among others, include;" which would take away the impera- 

 tive injunction to purchase none but books on science and the ails. 



Mr. J. J. CRITTENDEN was about to suggest some such modification. 

 He thought the proviso might be modified so as to read, "That in the 

 purchase of books it shall be a principal object to obtain works," 

 etc., following on with the words of the original. 



Mr. TAPPAN said the Senator's object would be attained by substi- 

 tuting for the words "consist of" the words "principally be." 



Mr. CRITTENDEN said that would not exactly convey his idea. 



Mr. J. A. PEARCE preferred striking out the proviso altogether. 

 If he understood the object aimed at by the Senator from Massachu- 

 setts, it was to make the interest of this munificent bequest accomplish 

 the injunction of the donor, by such an increase and diffusion of knowl- 

 edge among men as a complete national library, worthy of him and 

 this country, would undoubtedly insure. The Library of Congress, 

 though no larger than the private collections of many private gentle- 

 men in Europe, had been thirty years collecting, and now numbered 

 only 40,000 volumes. The library of the British Museum consists of 

 200,000 volumes; yet, by a recent report, it appears that 100,000 

 is required to render it complete. The libraries of the Government, 

 alluded to by the Senator from Ohio, are indispensable to the depart- 

 ments, as is that of Congress to the Capitol; they can not, with due 

 regard to the interests of national legislation, be transferred for pub- 

 lic use as a national library. By carrying out the suggestion of the 

 Senator from Massachusetts a great national library, worthy of the 

 country and the donor of this fund, may be established. 



The question was taken on Mr. Woodbury's amendment, and it was 

 rejected. 



Mr. CRITTENDEN now moved his amendment (before stated). 



Mr. CHOATE thought it equally objectionable; its tendency would be 

 to prompt the managers to the selection alone of the description of 

 works in some measure prescribed. He would infinitely prefer the 

 postponement of this question of limitation till an amendment to the 

 eighth section, which he had in view, should come up. He hoped 

 the simple motion to strike out the proviso would prevail. 



Mr. CRITTENDEN withdrew his motion. 



After a few remarks from Mr. Tappan in favor of retaining the 

 proviso, 



The question was taken on the motion of Mr. Choate and the proviso 

 was stricken out. 



Mr. CHOATE now moved to insert in the fifth section, which enumer- 



