288 The Smithsonian Institution 



To which Senator Howe, of Maine, who was in charge of 

 the bill, replied: "The Senator will see, if he looks over the 

 bill, that it does not transfer the title of the books. It is the 

 custody of the books that is transferred to the Congressional 

 library for safe keeping, as well as for the better accommo- 

 dation of the public." Senator Trumbull, of Illinois, enforced 

 this statement : 



" I will state to the Senator from Indiana that this is a 

 mutual arrangement entered into between the Regents of the 

 Smithsonian Institution and the Committee on the Library, 

 satisfactory to both parties. It is thought to be safer to have 

 them deposited there. There is danger of them at present, 

 as the building in which they are is not fire-proof." 



Professor Henry said, in speaking of the transfer of the 

 books to the Library of Congress : 



"To those who have not fully considered the subject, it 

 might, at first sight, appear that this transfer of a large number 

 of rare and valuable books from the building of the Institution 

 would be attended with serious inconveniences, and be a vir- 

 tual relinquishment of the control of property procured at the 

 expense of the Smithsonian fund. But it will be evident, 

 on a statement of the facts, that the advantages accruing to 

 the Institution and the public from the transfer far outweigh 

 any inconvenience which may arise on account of it; and that 

 it will tend to increase the efficiency of the funds, while it adds 

 to the security and even facilitates the general use of the 

 library." 



Mr. A. R. Spofford wrote in 1876 as follows: 



" In the year 1866, the Library of Congress received a most 

 important accession in the transfer to its shelves of the whole 

 collection of books gathered by the Smithsonian Institution, 

 and representing twenty years' accumulation since its estab- 



