DISCOURSE OF W. B. TAYLOR. 283 



The National lluseum. — The last heritage of misdirected legisla- 

 tion — the National Museum, still remains in nominal connection 

 with the Institution; although Congress has recognized the justice 

 of making special provision for its custody by an annual appropria- 

 tion ever since its establishment in 1842, — four years before the 

 orp;anization of the Smithsonian Institution. The Government 

 collection of curiosities had accumulated from the contributions of 

 the various exploring expeditions; and Henry from the first, had 

 objected to receiving it as a donation, foreseeing that it would prove 

 more than "the gift of an elephant."* In his Jirst Report, he 

 ventured to say : " It is hoped that in due time other means may 

 be found of establishing and supporting a general collection of 

 objects of nature and art at the seat of the general Government, 

 with funds not derived from the Smithsonian bequest."t In his 

 third annual Report he remarked: "The formation of a Museum 

 of objects of nature and of art requires much caution. With a 

 given income to be appropriated to the purpose, a time must come 

 when the cost of keeping the objects will just equal the amount of 

 the appropriation : after this no further increase can take place. 

 Also, the tendency of an institution of this kind unless guarded 

 against, will be to expend its funds on a heterogeneous collection 

 of objects of mere curiosity." Justly jealous of any dependence 

 of the Institution, designed as a monument to its founder, upon 

 the varying favors or caprices of a political government, or of any 

 confusion between the National Museum, and its own special collec- 

 tions for scientific study rather than for poi:)ular display, he added: 

 "If the Regents accept this Museum, it must be merged in the 

 Smithsonian collections. It could not be the intention of Congress 



a "popular" establishment. Ilnseduced by these friendly suggestions of worldly 

 wisdom, Henry astonished his adviser by the smiling assurance that his self- 

 imposed mission and deliberate purpose was to prevent, as far as in him lay, 

 precisely that consumnaation. Had the philosopher repudiated the "breath of his 

 nostrils" he could not have been looked upon by the politician, as more hope- 

 lessly demented. 



*His friend Profess'or Silliman in a letter dated December 4th 1847, wrote: "If 

 it is within the views of the Government to bestow the National Museum upon 

 the Smithsonian Institution, the very bequest would seem to draw after it an 

 obligation to furnish the requisite accommodations without taxing the Smithso- 

 nian funds: otherwise the gift might be detrimental instead of beneficial." 



^Smithsonian Report for 1847, p. 139 (Sen. ed.)— p. 132 (H. Rep. ed.) 



