424 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



America, to found at AVashington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men; and the 

 United States having, by an act of Congress, received said property and accepted 

 said trust; therefore, for the faithful execution of said trust according to the will of 

 the liberal and enlightened donor 



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America 

 in Congress assembled, That the President and Vice-President of the United States, the 

 Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of War, the Secre- 

 tary of the Navy, the Postmaster-General, the Attorney-General, the Chief Justice, 

 and the Commissioner of the Patent Office of the United States, .and the mayor of 

 the city of Washington, during the time for which they shall hold their respective 

 offices, and such other persons as they may elect honorary members, be, and they are 

 hereby, constituted an " establishment," by the name of the " Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion," for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men; and by that name 

 shall be known and have perpetual succession, with the powers, limitations, and 

 restrictions hereinafter contained, and no other. 



SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That so much of the property of the said James 

 Smithson as has been received in money, and paid into the Treasury of the United 

 States, being the sum of five hundred and fifteen thousand one hundred and sixty- 

 nine dollars, be lent to the United States Treasury, at six per cent per annum interest 

 from the first day of September, in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty- 

 eight, when the same was received into the said Treasury; and that so much of the 

 interest as may have accrued on said sum on the first day of July next, which will 

 amount to the sum of two hundred and forty-two thousand one hundred and twenty- 

 nine dollars, or so much thereof as shall by the Board of Regents of the Institution 

 established by this act be deemed necessary, be, and the same is hereby, appropriated 

 for the erection of suitable buildings, and for other current incidental expenses of 

 said Institution; and that six per cent interest on the said trust fund it being the said 

 amount of five hundred and fifteen thousand one hundred and sixty-nine dollars 

 received into the United States Treasury on the first of September, one thousand 

 eight hundred and thirty-eight, payable, in half-yearly payments, on the first of 

 January and July in each year be, and the same is hereby, appropriated for the per- 

 petual maintenance and support of said Institution; and all expenditures and appro- 

 priations to be made from time to time, to the purposes of the Institution aforesaid, 

 shall be exclusively from the accruing interest, and not from the principal of the said 

 fund. And be it further enacted, That all the moneys and stocks which have been, or 

 may hereafter be, received into the Treasury of the United States on account of the 

 fund bequeathed by James Smithson, be, and hereby are, pledged to refund to the 

 Treasury of the United States the sums hereby appropriated. 



SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the business of the said Institution shall be 

 conducted at the city of Washington by a Board of Regents by the name of the 

 Regents of the ' ' Smithsonian Institution, " to be composed of the Vice-President of 

 the United States, the Chief Justice of the United States, and the mayor of the city 

 of Washington, during the time for which they shall hold their respective offices; 

 three members of the Senate and three members of the House of Representatives, 

 together with six other persons, other than members of Congress, two of whom shall 

 be members of the National Institute in the city of Washington, and resident in the 

 said city; and the other four thereof shall be inhabitants of States, and no two of 

 them of the same State. And the Regents, to be selected as aforesaid, shall be 

 appointed immediately after the passage of this act the members of the Senate by 

 the President thereof, the members of the House by the Speaker thereof, and the six 

 other persons by joint resolution of the Senate and House of Representatives; and 

 the members of the House so appointed shall serve until the fourth Wednesday in 

 December, the second next after the passage of this act; and then, and biennially 



