THIRTIETH CONGRESS, 1847-49. 479 



Resolved, That the rules of this House be amended by adding one to the 

 committees, to consist of nine members, which shall be entitled a Commit- 

 tee on the Smithsonian Institution. It shall be the duty of the said com- 

 mittee to supervise the proceedings of the Board of Regents, examine ac- 

 counts and the condition of the funds of the institution, suggest such altera- 

 tions or amendments of the law under which the institution was established 

 as may be deemed necessary, and report to the House from time to time, as 

 the interest of the institution may require. 



Mr. HILLIARD said he supposed that the resolution would, 

 as a matter of course, lie over. 



The SPEAKER said that the resolution was now before the 

 House. 



Mr. HILLIARD deemed this resolution entirely unnecessary. 

 The Regents of the Smithsonian Institution were selected, 

 three from the Senate and three from this House. What 

 possible necessity, then, could there be to justify the ap- 

 pointment of a committee to inspect the affairs of that in- 

 stitution ? Besides, other departments of this Government 

 were required to act in concert with them, and therefore 

 there could be no reason to justify the bringing of the affairs 

 of that institution into this arena of debate, that its progress 

 might be embarrassed, its harmony of action impaired, and 

 the objects which it had undertaken be defeated. He asked 

 the gentleman what good he proposed to accomplish by it ? 

 He would impute no sinister motive to a gentleman of his en- 

 larged and enlightened views, but still it must be borne in 

 mind that the bill itself encountered great difficulties in its 

 progress through the House during the last session. Much 

 hostility was manifested to it, and therefore he again asked, 

 what good could be anticipated from the appointment of 

 such a committee ? 



Mr. HILLIARD believed they ought not to change the pres- 

 ent relations of Congress to that institution. A committee 

 appointed by this House would not share in the daily delib- 

 erations of the Board of Regents, and, without participat- 

 ing in them, it would be difficult to comprehend all its 

 designs. The Board of Regents had endeavored in good 

 faith to carry out the law passed by Congress ; and, having 

 done so, he said, lot them go on ; and if their affairs should 

 hereafter call for the appointment of a select committee, 

 appoint one when required, but do not now provide the 

 means unnecessarily of constantly bringing on this floor, 

 where they were so much oppressed with debate, the affairs 

 of the Smithsonian Institution. 



Mr. WHITE disclaimed all hostility to that institution, and 

 declared his ardent desire to co-operate with the Regents. 

 The bequest was a noble one, and it should be carried out 



