524 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



are to flow from this Institution have hardly yet made their appear- 

 ance, that we are scrambling- indecently over the cradle of the trust. 



I have said, Mr. President, that this is a pure trust. There is for- 

 tunately no emolument of any kind attendant upon its administration. 

 I have been for some years honored by the Senate of the United States 

 as one of the managers of that trust. I conceive it to be a very high 

 honor. It is because of the duty which I owe to the trust thus com- 

 mitted to me that I detain the Senate for a few moments. 



I perceive that the subject has been taken up in the other House at 

 the instance of one of the Regents [Mr. Meacham], an honorable mem- 

 ber there, who, as the journals have been published, it is now fair to 

 say voted with the writer of this letter. On his motion a committe; 1 

 has been raised, which is, perhaps, proper enough, but I must say, 

 with very great respect for that body, that the committee has been 

 vested with very extraordinary power for such an inquiry the power 

 "to send for persons and papers." This would seem to convey an 

 imputation that the body of gentlemen who are. charged with the 

 administration may require a police officer or a messenger from this 

 Capitol to get from them papers or other evidence. I regret it, sir: 

 but straws show how the wind blows, and this strange and exigent 

 demand of power for the committee has its own meaning, which time 

 may disclose. 



I am indisposed, sir, to commit myself as to any present disposition 

 of this paper, and I submit, therefore, to the honorable Senator from 

 Maryland that for the present it would be better to allow it to lie on 

 the table until it can be considered by the Senate what disposition 

 should be made of it. 



Mr. J. A. PEABCE. I beg leave to say, in regard to the suggestion 

 of the honorable Senator from Virginia, that I remain of opinion 

 that this paper should be referred to a select committee of this body. 

 I do not think that the fact that it is the subject of investigation by a 

 committee of the House of Representatives should operate to prevent 

 us from committing it to a committee of our own body. I have no 

 doubt that House took such action as seemed to them to be proper, 

 but I submit, with due respect to the House of Representatives, that, 

 no matter what may be the action of that House, it is for the Senate 

 to act independently. However, I make no motion for reference to a 

 select committee, because I am a member of the Board of Regents, 

 and I do not wish to sit in judgment on my own cause or over my 

 fellow Regents. 



Mr. STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS. 1 regret, Mr. President, that there 

 should have been a necessity, in the estimation of any gentleman, 

 to bring the affairs and management of the Smithsonian Institution 

 before Congress for its action. As has been stated by the honorable 

 Senator from Maryland, in terms kind and respectful, T am one of 



