THIRTY-SIXTH CONGRESS, 1859-61. 671 



ate six or ten thousand dollars to preserve a parcel of what 

 you call scientific specimens. A Senator over the way said 

 they were toads and snakes, and I have no doubt they are 

 that sort of thing. [Laughter.] They are no use to anybody 

 now ; they have served their day. 



I am tired of all this thing called science here. It was 

 only the other day we made another appropriation in regard 

 to the expedition which Captain Wilkes took out to the Pa- 

 cific ocean. We have paid $1,000 a volume for the book 

 which he published. Who has ever seen that book outside 

 of this Senate; and how many copies are there of it in this 

 country ? We have spent millions in that sort of thing for 

 the last few years, and it is time it should be stopped. Now, 

 the only way and I say it in all sincerity in which I think 

 this Smithsonian Institution can be useful to the country, is 

 by living within its means ; that it shall not ask any aid of 

 the Government at all ; that it shall not rely on patronage, 

 but on the good it does, and the benefit it confers, to sustain 

 it The country at large, and the people of this country will 

 take care of it, if it is worthy to be taken care of; but it they 

 come to the Legislature every year asking for an appropria- 

 tion, it must sink. As a friend of that institution, and as a 

 friend of the very distinguished and able and pure man who 

 is at the head of it, I do not want it to be connected with tl 

 Government at all. 



The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair understands the ben- 

 .ator from Pennsylvania to move to strike out the appropria- 

 tion contained in the amendment. 



Mr. CAMERON. Yes, sir. 



The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question, then, will be on 

 the amendment to the amendment, to strike out the appr< 



PI MJ.CAMERON and Mr. HALE. Let us have the yeas and 

 BINGHAM. Why cannot we take a vote direct on the 



I. have no objection to that. I withdraw 



. I hope we shall have the yeas and nays on 

 tho amendment of the committee. 



The PfcramiHG OFFICER. Does the Senator from Penn- 



. 

 sylvania withdraw his amendment? 



x es, on ... , 



The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question then wil be on 

 the amendment of the committee as amended on motion of 

 the Senator from North Carolina. 



