EXTRACTS FROM THE MEMOIRS OF JOHN 

 QUINCY ADAMS. 



EDITED BY CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.* 



JANUARY 9, 1836. 



At ten o'clock, or as soon after as I could get out of my 

 louse and reach the Capitol, I met the Committee on the- 

 Resident's message relating to the Smithsonian bequest. 

 Mie members present were Garland, of Virginia, McKen- 

 lan of Pennsylvania, Pearce, of Rhode Island, Thomas, of 

 Maryland, and Chapin, of New York. The absent mem- 

 >ers were Garland, of Louisiana, Hannegan, of Indiana, 

 nd Speight, of North Carolina, who is still confined by 

 llness. The members now present had got over their 

 cruples with regard to the acceptance of the bequest, and 

 lirected me to prepare a report and a bill to that effect. A 

 :ommittee of the Senate, the chairman of which was Ben- 

 amin Watkins Leigh, of Virginia, have already reported 

 o that effect, and presented a joint resolution authorizing 

 he President to obtain the funds, and making an appro- 

 bation of five thousand dollars to defray the expenses 

 ?hich may thereby be occasioned. Mr. Leigh's report con- 

 ains a short and satisfactory argument for the competency 

 >f Congress to accept the bequest, and showing it to be 

 heir duty. But, as money cannot constitutionally be ap- 

 )ropriated by resolutions, my direction from the committee 

 s to prepare a bill, and to make the appropriation ten thou- 

 iand instead of five thousand dollars. 



JANUARY 10, 1836. 



I called successively upon Mr. Bankhead, Charge d'Af- 

 aires from Great Britain, and upon Colonel Aspinwall, 

 vho is at Fuller's, to inquire if either of them could give 

 ne any further information respecting Mr. James Smith- 

 ion ; but they could not. I was desirous of obtaining it 

 or the purpose of introducing into the report of the com- 

 nittee upon his bequest some complimentary notice of the 



* Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott <fe Co., 1876. 



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