THIRTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS, 1863-1865. 653 



when we pay greenbacks to the soldiers. Why do the Senators agree 

 by their numerous votes here to pay gold to the men who buy the 

 bonds of the United States? Why do they make their investment 

 worth 12 per cent when other men use their money for their own 

 benefit but to the extent of 6 per cent? Why do they pay gold to 

 the creditors that they create now, not by $500,000 at a time, but by 

 $600,000,000 at a time in gold? Let them answer that. It is a ques- 

 tion between them and the soldiers. They pay the creditors of the 

 Government in gold and the soldiers in greenbacks. Both Senators 

 unquestionably were governed by proper considerations. I think it 

 is a plain obligation on the part of the Government to pay this inter- 

 est in gold. It is according to the practice of the Government, and I 

 should think it a shame to the Government to do otherwise. 



Mr. LYMAN TRUMBULL. I am a little surprised at the course of the 

 Senator from Iowa and the Senator from New Hampshire. The Sen- 

 ator from New Hampshire says this is not a trust at all; this property 

 was given to the United States. It was given to the United States by 

 James Smithson, but it was given for a particular purpose, and it 

 is as much a trust as when any testator bequeaths property to a par- 

 ticular person for a particular purpose. The Congress of the United 

 States in 1846 passed an act by which they recognized this as a trust, 

 and I would like to inquire of the Senator from New Hampshire if he 

 means to repudiate the action of this Government; if he means to 

 repudiate the solemn obligation which this Government has taken 

 upon itself ? It is a direct act of repudiation on the part of the Gov- 

 ernment to deny that this is a trust and that it is held as a trust for 

 particular purposes. The act of 1846, which I have before me, 

 declares 



That James Smithson, esq., of London, in the Kingdom of Great Britain, having 

 by his last will and testament given the whole of his property to the United States 

 of America to found at Washington, 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 full execution of said trust according to the will of the 

 liberal and enlightened donor, Be it enacted, etc. 



Here is a solemn act of Congress acknowledging the receipt of this 

 property as a trust fund. It was given for the purpose of founding 

 "at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an 

 establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men," 

 and the Senator from Iowa says "not useful knowledge." Why, sir, 

 I thought that the term "knowledge" implied that it was a useful 

 thing. I supposed that knowledge was valuable; that it was what we 

 all sought to acquire. This property was accepted in trust for this 

 identical purpose, and to repudiate it now and say it is no trust, it is 

 the money of the Government and you have a right to squander it and 



