386 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



and fund it, as this bill proposed to do, in perpetuity upon 

 the Government. He wanted to create no such debt upon 

 this Government, He was satisfied that his constituents 

 desired no such debt funded no such burden imposed upon 

 them. 



But waiving the objection of the want of power on the 

 part of the Government, he was still opposed to the estab- 

 lishment of an institution like that proposed in the bill 

 under the direction and patronage of the Government of 

 the United States. He would be the last man on this iloor 

 to say or do anything on this floor or elsewhere to obstruct 

 the enlightenment and education of the people ; he was as 

 thoroughly satisfied of the benefits of education as any- 

 body, but he could not sanction the establishment of such 

 an institution under the direction of the Government of 

 the United States. Where might it end? What might 

 such an institution come to be in the course of events ? 

 This $513,000 was to be funded at six per cent, interest for- 

 ever. Was there a friend of this measure: was there one 

 who had reflected for a moment on the proposition, who 

 believed that when once established they would stop at tin- 

 appropriation of this six per cent, interest annually for its 

 support ? It was, in his opinion, nothing more than the 

 entering wedge to fastening upon the United States an 

 institution the expenses and appropriations for which would 

 be augmented at almost every session of Congress. 



It was neither the right, the power, or the true policy of 

 the Government to attempt to rear up here in the city of 

 Washington an institution for the education of school 

 teachers, of agricultural professors, &c., to send out into the 

 country. There was too great a tendency to centralization 

 in this Government already, in his opinion. The legitimate 

 and appropriate sphere of this Government was to take 

 care of our concerns with foreign Powers, leaving our do- 

 mestic laws and regulations to be made by the State Legis- 

 latures. Every measure of this kind had the tendency to 

 make the people throughout the country look more to this 

 great central power than to the State Governments. 



He had not risen for the purpose of making a speech, 

 but of submitting a few remarks in explanation of his 

 amendment. 



Mr. SAWYER (Mr. J. giving way) said the gentleman's 

 proposition, if he understood it aright, was to refund this 

 money to the heirs of Smithson. Now he was well informed 

 that Mr. Smithson had no heirs whatever. And if such 



