FORTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS, 1883-1885. 935 



national library of medicine, a national collection of medical speci- 

 mens, and finally a national college of medicine, here at the capital 

 [t seems to me that if we are to do this we may just as well enter 

 upon any other and all other branches of science, and erect buildings 

 for them, and establish libraries, and gather specimens for them as 

 national matters. 



Now we have the finest medical colleges in our States, perhaps, in the 

 world. There is one at Philadelphia, near where the Declaration of 

 Independence was made and promulgated, and I have no doubt they 

 will be glad to take and preserve all these specimens where they will 

 be open to the inspection of medical scientists and students for all time 

 to come. Our own library, which we are to build up I trust at no 

 remote day, our national library, would be made all the richer by pro- 

 viding proper space in which these books may be placed. That dispo- 

 sition of them will save to the nation not only this $200,000, but will 

 prevent establishing a precedent the end of which I do not think any 

 man can foresee. 



It will do more than that, sir; this library and museum will end at 

 last in a staff of officers to take care of it and at the national expense, 

 and an annual appropriation will be demanded to support and continue 

 it forever. I am one of those who believe the whole subject of edu- 

 cation, except as to the local education of the people of this District, 

 belongs to and will be best guarded, forwarded, and perfected to its 

 great end by the States through their rivalry and competition in the 

 pursuit of knowledge and science; but I do not see that the General 

 Government should enter upon that field. I do not believe that we are 

 to gain by preserving the relics and bones or wounds caused by the 

 war at any one place in our capital. I wish they were all buried and 

 covered all over with green grass and hidden from sight forever. 

 * * ***** 



Mr. P. B. THOMPSON, Jr. The only reason I have for opposing this 

 bill grows out of the fact that I see no necessity for it and that I have 

 heard no sufficient reason assigned for it by any of the gentlemen who 

 advocate this measure. 



The only reason given us for putting up this building is that there 

 are belonging to the Surgeon-General's Department 52,000 volumes of 

 important records, hospital records, etc. Now, these records, if they 

 belong to the Surgeon-General's Office, do not properly belong to any 

 library, but constitute part of the records of the War Department, 

 of which the Surgeon-General's Office is merely one branch. And we 

 are not told, nor has any gentleman undertaken to say, that the new 

 War, State, and Navy Department building when completed will not 

 furnish ample resources for the accommodation of the records we 

 have. 



Mr. STOCKSLAGER. With the gentleman's permission 1 will state 



