TWENTY-NINTH CONGRESS, 1845-47. 475' 



Mr. WESTCOTT said, when the Smithsonian bill was before 

 Congress at the last session he was opposed to it, and he 

 believed he voted against it throughout when present in 

 the Senate, while it was under consideration. He had 

 many objections to the bill. An insuperable one was, that 

 he objected to those provisions by which Senators and Rep- 

 resentatives were to be appointed " regents,'" an office crea- 

 ted by the law passed by themselves. He had no idea that 

 it was constitutional, or in anywise proper, for members of 

 Congress to make offices for themselves of this character. 

 The office of regent was a civil q$zce and the Constitution 

 prohibited members of Congress from being appointed to 

 any office created " during the terra for which they were 

 elected." It was an office of trust and honor, and, in some 

 respects, of emolument. With this belief, he should not 

 vote upon this motion, to which he had no other objection. 

 If he voted against it, his vote would be subject to miscon- 

 struction. He knew a majority of the Senate differed with 

 him on the constitutional question he had averted to, but 

 on such a question he must obey the dictates of his own 

 conscience. 



The motion of Mr. Breese was then agreed to. 



SENATE, January 18, 1847. 



The Vice-President announced that he had appointed 

 Mr. Lewis Cass to be a Regent of the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, in the place of Mr. Pennybacker, deceased. 



SENATE, February 15, 1847. 



Mr. EVANS, in pursuance of notice, obtained leave to 

 bring in a bill to authorize the Regents of the Smithsonian 

 Institution to purchase from the corporation of Washington 

 the City Hall, and for other purposes. 



The bill had its second reading, and was referred to the 

 Committee for the District of Columbia. The bill is as fol- 

 lows : 



AN ACT to authorize the Kegents of the Smithsonian Institution to pur- 

 chase, for the use of said Institution, of the corporation of the city of 

 Washington, the City Hal!, arid for other purposes. 



Be it enacted, $c., That the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution be, 

 and they are hereby, authorized to purchase of the corporation of the city 

 of Washington all the right, title, and interest of the said corporation in 

 and to the City Hall of the said city ; subject, however, to the conditions 

 and provisions hereinafter specified: Provided, That the corporation shall, 

 on or before the tenth day of March next, enter into bond, with sufficient 

 sureties, to be approved by the Attorney General of the United States, that, 

 they will erect on the Market Space, between 7th and 9th streets west, and 

 between Pennsylvania avenue and B street north, a suitable and commo- 



