398 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



a large portion of the fund to the education of teachers of normal 

 schools Mr. Adams expressed his decided opposition. He would 

 rather have the whole money thrown into the Potomac than to appro- 

 priate one dollar for that purpose. 



Mr. Adams alluded to some facts in the history of this fund, showing 

 his own connection with it, the circumstances under which it was 

 received, the investment, three days after it was received, of $500,000 

 in Arkansas bonds, and the remainder in bonds of Michigan, Illinois, 

 and Ohio; the payment by Ohio of her interest, and the failure on the 

 part of Arkansas to pay a cent of her interest, etc. 



Mr. A. G. THURMAN (Mr. Adams yielding) inquired for information 

 of Mr. Adams whether this investment in the bonds of Arkansas was 

 made without any warrant or authority of law ? 



Mr. ADAMS. The fact is directly the reverse. Mr. Adams stated the 

 circumstances under which the legalized investment was made. On a 

 bill for the support of the West Point Academy a provision was 

 ingrafted (he said) that this fund should be invested in State stocks. 

 He commented upon the incongruity of the two subjects in terms 

 which excited the merriment of the committee. 



He next reviewed the legislative history of this subject during the 

 four Congresses which have elapsed since the receipt of the fund eight 

 years since, giving a minute account of the various propositions made 

 in reports to both Houses of Congress, and their respective fates 

 none of them having received the sanction of both Houses. When it first 

 came before Congress, and he believed this money was in the Treasury 

 of the United States, he was of opinion among the sciences the 

 pursuit of which was recommended by the testator that of astronomy 

 was the first to which a portion of the interest should be applied. 



In the administration of this fund there were two or three principles 

 that should be pursued. One was that it should never cost the people 

 of the United States a dollar that it should support itself. Another, 

 that no part should ever be applied to the ordinary purposes of edu- 

 cation of children. He felt on that subject something the feeling of 

 the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Chipman], that it was unworthy 

 the people of the United States to receive foreign aid for the educa- 

 tion of their children. It was their own duty to do it for themselves, 

 and not to depend on any eleemosynary bequest for it. There was no 

 way in which the States could more degrade themselves than by rely- 

 ing on foreign aid or on the General Government for the education of 

 their children. He differed with him on other points, however, and 

 thought it highly proper that it should be received to carry out the 

 intent of the testator, for the "increase and diffusion of knowledge 

 among men." 



Mr. SIMS inquired of the gentleman from Massachusetts the power 

 under the Constitution by which Congress was authorized to accept 

 and administer this fund? 



