THIRTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS, 1863-65. 689 



mine whether it will be necessary to take down the high northern tower. 

 Colonel Alexander of the engineer corps, however, has informed the com- 

 mittee that he thinks $100,000 will be required to make the necessary re- 

 pairs and improvements. 



The committee cannot conclude without adding that, in their opinion, 

 the occurrence of the fire ought not to be allowed to interfere with the ad 

 tive operations of the institution, on which essentially depends the reputa- 

 tion it has established throughout the world, and its efficiency as an instru- 

 ment for " the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men." To the 

 support and extension of these operations, therefore, the annual interest 

 from the original fund should, as far as possible, continue as heretofore to 

 be conscientiously applied. 



Respectfully submitted, 



RICHARD WALLACE, 

 JOSEPH HENKY, 



Special Committee. 

 WASHINGTON, February, 1865. 



At a subsequent meeting of the committee, Professor Henry was requested 

 to state his connection with the institution, to give an account of its objects 

 and operations, the origin of the building, and such other facts as might 

 be of public interest. In conformity with this request he made the follow- 

 ing statement : (See Rep. Com., No. 129, 38th Congress, 2d session.) 



Mr. FOOT offered a resolution to print 1,000 extra copies 

 of the report ; 500 of which to be for the use of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution. 



February 22, 1865. The resolution of Mr. Foot was 

 adopted. 



March 1, 1865. Annual report, for the year 1864, pre- 

 sented, and ordered to be printed. 



March 3, 1865. The next amendment was to insert the 

 following as a new section : 



And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed 

 to pay the interest on the debt due the Smithsonian Institution in coin, as 

 the interest on other permanent debts due by the United States prior to the 

 present rebellion have been and are paid. 



Mr. GRIMES. I have a word to say on that subject. I 

 am opposed to the adoption of that amendment. In the 

 first place, I do not know any reason why there should be 

 a distinction made between a debt that is due to the Smith- 

 sonian Institution and a debt due to anybody else by the 

 United States Government. I understand that by some 

 construction or other the Treasury Department have decided 

 that this is a kind of trust debt ; and that from this time 

 henceforth they intend to pay the interest upon what they 

 call the trust fund in gold. The purpose of this amend- 

 ment is to make this retrospective, and to pay some forty 

 thousand dollars in currency, being the difference between 

 the amount which has hitherto been received by the Smith- 

 sonian Institution and that which they claim they ought to 

 have received and would have received if this money had 

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