916 PROPOSED APPLICATIONS OF SMITHSON's BEQUEST. 



was obviously unnecessary to assign any other than nominal 

 duties to the nominal institution. 



The creation of this nominal institution, though utterly 

 useless as regards the transaction of business, is a matter of 

 grave import touching the funds. If, as seems to have been 

 the intention, and as justice itself requires, "the members 

 and honorary members of the Smithsonian Institution" are 

 to be entitled, as well as the Board of Regents, to draw upon 

 the funds for "their necessary travelling, and other actual 

 expenses," when attending at "its stated and special meet- 

 ings," revenues may be required for the "actual expenses" 

 of an exceeding great army of men, "desiring the crumba 

 which fall from the table."* 



The third section confides the business of the Institution 

 to a " Board of Regents," consisting of the Vice- President of 

 the United States, the Chief Justice of the United States, and 

 the Mayor of the city of Washington, during the time for 

 which they shall hold their respective offices; three members 

 of the Senate, to be appointed by the President thereof: three 

 members of the House of Representatives, to be appointed by 

 the Speaker thereof; and six other persons, to bo appointed 

 by joint resolution of the Senate and House of Representa- 

 tives, fifteen in all. Vacancies to be filled by Congress in 

 the Usual manner. 



This Board of Regents constitutes, in fact, a dn^n-titc 

 Smithsonian Institution, differing from the first as being the 

 real, while the other is only the nominal Institution. The 

 organization of this board, like the other, is wholly of a 

 party character, and liable to constant change. The prin- 

 ciple of rotation in office, carried into the institute, will de- 

 prive its officers of the benefit of experience. Its offices will 

 be so many places added to Government patronage, and its 

 income will be so much money added to the spoils of the 

 victors. 



It will be their duty to hold " regular and special meet- 

 ings;" to appoint and remove subordinate officers; to super- 

 intend the building; to audit accounts and disburse moneys; 

 to furnish the cabinets, laboratory, library, and gallery of 

 art; to make exchanges of specimens; and report their 

 operations to Congress. In a word, to manage the complex 

 machinery of the several institutions to be created under the 

 name of the " Smithsonian Institution." Their offices will 

 be no sinecures, but " their services as Regents are to be- 

 gratuitous." As, however, most of these fifteen gentlemen 

 may be called from distant States to attend to their duties, 

 " the travelling and other actual expenses" may absorb no 



