392 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



exploded ideas but of that knowledge which was the offspring of an 

 intellect patented directly by the Almighty. 



Mr. Chipman then proceeded to state some general objections to the 

 bill, diverging considerably into the field of party politics. 



In conclusion, he declared himself in favor of some such plan as had 

 been proposed by the gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Jones]. 



On motion of Mr. THOS. H. BAYLY, the committee rose, and reported. 



Mr. OWEN offered a resolution to close the debate in an hour and a 

 half. 



The resolution, by ayes 92, noes 44, was laid on the table. After 

 some conversation 



On motion of Mr. JOHN Q. ADAMS, the rules were suspended, to 

 enable him to offer the following substitute amendment to the bill; 

 which amendment having been read by itself, was referred to the 

 Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union, and ordered to be 

 printed: 



Strike out the preamble, and all except the enacting clause, and 

 insert : 



That the President of the United States be requested, by the use of suitable means 

 of moral suasion, and no others, to obtain from the governments of the States of 

 Arkansas, Illinois, and Michigan, payment of the arrears of interest due from the 

 said States to the United States, and the interest thereafter, and the principal as it 

 shall become due, according to the promises on the face of the bonds given by the 

 said States for moneys bequeathed by James Smithson, a benevolent Englishman, to 

 the United States of America, for the special purpose of founding at the city of Wash- 

 ington an institution for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men, which 

 bequest was, by act of Congress, approved on the first of July, 1836, accepted, with 

 a pledge of the faith of the United States that it should be applied to the purposes 

 prescribed by the testator. 



SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That when payment shall have been obtained from 

 the said States of Arkansas, Illinois, and Michigan, of the arrears of interest due on 

 their said bonds, Congress shall forthwith proceed to appropriate said sums of interest 

 so recovered, together with the interest hitherto received, or hereafter to be received, 

 until the time of making such appropriations, in such manner as they shall deem 

 suited, to redeem the pledge of the faith of the United States, to the application of 

 the funds of the bequest of the said James Smithson, to the specific purpose pre- 

 scribed by the testator. 



SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That until the arrears of interest due by the said 

 States of Arkansas, Illinois, and Michigan to the United States, upon their said 

 respective bonds, shall have been received at the Treasury of the United States, no 

 appropriation shall be made by Congress chargeable upon the people of the United 

 States for the fulfillment of the purposes prescribed by the testator, James Smithson, 

 for the disposal of his bequest. 



SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That within the first thirty days of each and every 

 successive session of Congress it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to 

 report to Congress the then actual state of the Smithsonian fund, and particularly 

 the amount of arrears of interest due upon the said bonds of the States of Arkansas, 

 Illinois, and Michigan; together with copies of all correspondence, showing the result 

 of the means of moral suasion used during the preceding year to obtain payment of 

 the said arrears of interest; and the said annual reports shall be printed for the 

 information of the people. 



