620 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



committee, the strongest expression of his favorable opinion 

 of the working of the institution. The committee has space 

 here only for an extract from the letter referred to : 



" Smitbson had already made his will and left his fortune to the Royal 

 Society of London, when certain scientific papers were offered to that 

 learned body for publication. Notwithstanding his efforts to have them 

 published in their Transactions, they were refused ; upon which he changed 

 his will and made his bequest to the United States. It would be easy to 

 collect in London more minute information upon this occurrence, and 

 should it appear desirable, I think I could put the committee in the way of 

 learning all the circumstances. Nothing seems to me to indicate more 

 plainly what were the testator's views respecting the best means of promot- 

 ing science than this fact. I will not deny the great importance of libra- 

 ries, and no one has felt more keenly the want of an extensive scientific 

 library than I have since I have been in the United States; but after nil, 

 libraries are only tools of a secondary value to those who are really en- 

 dowed by nature with the power of making original researches, and thus 

 increasing knowledge among men. And though the absence or deficiency 

 of libraries is nowhere so deeply felt as in America, the application of the 

 funds of the Smithsonian Institution to the formation of a library, beyond 

 the requirements of the daily progress of science, would only be, in my 

 humble opinion, a perversion of the real object of the trust, inasmuch as it 

 would tend to secure facilities only to the comparatively small number of 

 American students who may have the time and means to visit Washington 

 when they wish to consult a library. Such an application of the funds 

 would indeed lessen the ability of the Smithsonian Institution to accom- 

 plish its great object, which is declared by its founder to be the increase 

 and diffusion of knowledge among men, to the lull extent to which they 

 may be spent to increase unduly the library. 



u Moreover, American students have a just claim upon their own country 

 for such local facilities as the accumulation of books affords. 



u It' I am allowed, in conclusion, to state my personal impression respect- 

 ing the management of the institution thus far, I would only express my 

 concurrence with the plan of active operations adopted by the regents, 

 which has led to the publication of a series of volumes, equal in scientific 

 value to any productions of the same kind issued by learned societies any- 

 where. 



u The distribution of the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, has 

 already carried the name of the institution to all parts of the civilized 

 world, and conveyed with them such evidence of the intellectual activity 

 of America as challenges everywhere admiration ; a result which could 

 hardly be obtained by applying the resources of the institution to other 

 , purposes." 



3. Additional legislation. 



From what has been already said, it may well be inferred 

 that the committee have been unable to see anything either 

 in the provisions of the law, or the administration of the 

 institution which requires reform by additional legislation. 

 Indeed, they could not imagine on what ground additional 

 legislation could be demanded, if they had not been in- 

 formed by the lion. Mr. Meacham, who presented the reso- 

 lution under which the committee was appointed. That 

 gentleman was invited to attend the meetings of the com- 

 mittee, was authorized to present charges and specifications 

 aipon any branch of the subject referred to them, as also to 



