MEMOIRS OF JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. 767 



but that Wise and I had voted for the bill establishing the 

 igency. 



JUNE 22, 1838. 



Dr. Chapin, President of the Columbian College in the 

 District of Columbia, with Dr. Sherwood, one of the pro- 

 ^essors of that institution, called on me this morning to 

 jpeak about the Smithsonian bequest. Mr. Rush has recov- 

 ered the money half a million of dollars and is expected 

 tfith it here in the course of the next month. Dr. Chapin 

 ^presented that if this money should be applied to the 

 bundation of a college or university, it must necessarily 

 iffect the total destruction of his college. 



I told him that after the passage of the act of Congress 

 br procuring the money, I had not permitted myself to think 

 ipon the subject till the money should be in the Treasury; 

 ;hat I hoped, however, no disposal of the fund would be 

 nade which would in any manner injure the Columbian 

 College; that I did not think the Smithsonian Institution 

 should be a college, or a university, or a school of educa- 

 ion for children, but altogether of a different character; 

 hat, as the money would come into the hands of the exec- 

 itive, I hoped the President would in his next annual 

 nessage propose some plan for the adoption of Congress for 

 he disposal of the fund; and I advised Dr. Chapin to see 

 he President and converse with him on the subject which 

 le said he would, 



JUNE 24, 1838. 



Attended at St. John's Church. I spoke to President 

 Buren, and asked half an hour's conversation with him 

 it six o'clock this evening ; to which he acceded. I went 

 o the President's, and, putting into his hand the letter which 

 " have received in duplicate from R. Rush of 15th May, re- 

 quested him to read it. I then had a conversation of nearly 

 wo hours with him upon the Smithsonian bequest, referring 

 o my report, and entreating him to have a plan prepared 

 o recommend to Congress for the foundation of the Insti- 

 ution at the commencement of the next session of Congress. 

 ! suggested to him the establishment of an astronomical 

 >bservatory, with a salary for an astronomer and assistant, 

 br nightly observations and periodical publication ; then 

 innual courses of lectures upon the natural, moral, and 

 )olitical sciences; and, above all, no jobbing no sinecures 

 no monkish stalls for lazy idlers. 



Mr. Van Buren received" all this with complacency and 

 ipparent concurrence of opinion ; said he would look into 



