222 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



their native land, they must blush to acknowledge that not 

 a single edifice deserving the name of an astronomical 

 observatory is to be seen. 



The bill reported by the committee of this House, at the 

 last session of Congress, bears testimony to their earnest 

 desire that this reproach might be removed from the people 

 of the North American Union, That bill was unaccompa- 

 nied with a report, because other views for the disposal of 

 the fund bequeathed to the United States by Mr. Smithson 

 had been entertained by the chairman of the joint commit- 

 tee on the part of the Senate, in which views his colleagues 

 of the same committee acquiesced. As a compromise of 

 irreconcilable opinions, it became necessary, therefore, to 

 agree that the two bills should be reported together to both 

 Houses; and as it was obvious that the remnant of time to 

 the close of that session would be so absorbed by other and 

 indispensable business that it would be impossible (K'liber- 

 atel} 7 to discuss either of the bills in the House-, and to 

 avoid, in deference to the committee on the part of the 

 Senate, and to their chairman, any unnecessary display of 

 argument against their bill, it was reported by the commit- 

 tee of the House, together with their own bill, without 

 commentary upon either. The object of the chairman of 

 the committee on the part of the Senate, for the disposal of 

 the Smithsonian fund, was the establishment of an institu- 

 tion of learning, or great national university, by the authority 

 of Congress, which would not only absorb the whole 

 bequest, but would require the superaddition of large and 

 frequent appropriations of public moneys for its mainten- 

 ance and support. The bill of that committee, reported to 

 the Senate, was actually taken up in that body, and, after 

 deliberate discussion of its merits, was by them rejected. 

 The immediate consequence of the interposition of that- 

 body upon a subject which had been already several weeks 

 under the consideration of a select committee of this 

 House, was to prevent the possible action of Congress for 

 the fulfillment, at that session, of the trust committed to 

 them. 



Four members of the committee of the House, at the 

 last session of Congress, are also members of the present 

 committee. Retaining their opinions in favor of the bill 

 then reported by the committee on the part of the House, 

 they see no cause to regret the delay to the final action of 

 Congress upon the disposal of the bequest, occasioned by 

 the appointment and proceedings of the joint committee of 

 both Houses at the last session. To the faithful perform- 



