TWENTY-SIXTH CONGRESS, 1839-41. 225 



have contributed to the increase and diffusion of knowledge 

 among men. But, had this been his design, he could 

 neither have located his institution at the city of Washing- 

 ton, nor have selected for trustees and agents to fulfill his 

 design the United States of America. 



In proposing that an astronomical observatory should be 

 the first object for the application of the annual income 

 from the Smithsonian bequest, and that the appropriations 

 should be confined to that object until an establishment of 

 that character shall be completed, not inferior for efficiency 

 to any other devoted to the same science in any part of the 

 world, this committee have been not altogether uninfluenced 

 by anticipations of the impression whicb it will make upon 

 the reputation of these United States throughout the 

 learned and scientific world. As a commercial and navigat- 

 ing nation, they stand already in the first rank of Christian 

 communities. To the science of geography, so far as it can 

 be improved by adventurous enterprise in exploring the un- 

 frequented paths of every ocean, they have contributed 

 their share of private and individual exertion. The expe- 

 dition now floating upon a distant sea, in search of new 

 discoveries upon the surface of the globe, affords a signal 

 testimonial of the interest taken by this Government in the 

 increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge. Nor 

 has astronomy been wholly neglected in the instructions 

 given for the conduct of the expedition. But there exists 

 no permanent establishment throughout the Union for 

 systematic continual observation of the phenomena of the 

 heavens ; for the mathematical calculations to furnish the 

 practical results of observation ; and for periodical publica- 

 tion, for the benefit of the commercial, navigating, and 

 scientific world, of the fruits of this combined observation 

 and calculation. To supply this deficiency, the bequest of 

 James Smithson fortunate!} 7 furnishes the means, without 

 needing the assistance of any contribution from the public 

 funds of the nation. Should the Government of the Union, 

 responding to an impulse of emulation in laudable pursuits 

 which may be kindled in the minds of this ambitious peo- 

 ple, by successful results in the application of the Smith- 

 sonian funds, hereafter be disposed to appropriate some 

 portion of the moneys levied upon the people themselves 

 to the advancement of astronomical or geographical knowl- 

 edge, there will be ample field for demonstrating to the 

 world that the United States of America were not only 

 worthy of the honor done them by a generous foreigner, in 

 selecting them as the administrators of his bequest for the 



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