S16M3 



SPEECH. 



The House being in Committee of the Whole, and having under consideration the bill for 

 •establishing the Smithsonian Institution — 



Mr. marsh, of Vermont, after some preliminary observations, said : 

 I agree, Mr. Chairman, with those who doubt whether it was entirely wise 

 in the Congress of the United States to accept the munificent bequest of 

 Mr. Smithson. Were the question now first presented, 1 should hesitate. 

 JVot thaX I deny or even doubt the power of Congress to administer this 

 charity, but I should question the propriety of assuming a trust, which there 

 is too much reason to fear we shall not discharge in such a manner as to 

 give the fullest eflfect to the purposes of the enlightened donor. The history 

 of tliis bequest confirms these scruples. It is now nearly ten years since 

 Congress, by a solemn act, assumed the trust, and pledged ^^ the faith of the 

 United States" to its faithful execution. The money was soon after re- 

 ceived, and immediately passed out of the hands of the Government, not 

 irrecoverably, it is to be hoped, but it is, at all events, now beyond our con- 

 trol, and no portion of it has been yet applied to the noble ends of the be- 

 quest. The difficulties which have thus far prevented the application of 

 the fund to its proper uses still exist, and are of a character not likely to be 

 removed. Our Government has no department which can be conveniently 

 charged with the administration of the charity, and must, therefore, begin 

 with the organization of one for that special purpose. In this incipient step, 

 we meet with obstacles at every corner. (Questions are at once raised that 

 are not' yet solved, and are certainly in themselves of no easy solution. 

 How far cmij how far ought, Congress to act in the direct control of the 

 charity-^how far should it make specific what the will of the testator has 

 left general? If Congress shall direct the particular uses to which the fund 

 shall be apphed , what shall those uses be? Or shall we, on the other hand, 

 delegate the trust; and, if so, shall we impose its duties on departments 

 already too heavily burdened with official responsibilities, or shall we create 

 a corporation or other special agency for the purpose? Is there not danger 

 that the institution will be abused for party ends, and merely serve to swell 

 the already overgrown patronage of the Executive? A previous suggestion 

 of these difficulties might well have led us to hesitate, before we contracted 

 obligations of so delicate a character, and I fear they are yet destined for 

 some time longer to impede the satisfactory action of Congress. 



But it is now quite time that we Jipply ourselves in earnest to the work 

 of redeeming oui country from the reproach of infidelity in the discharge of 

 •so high and solemn a trust, and that at tha earliest practicable period, and 

 before the subject shall become an element in our part)^ dissensions, we 

 strive to make available to our fellow-citizens, and to all men , a gift as 

 splendid as its purposes are noble. 



The delay, long and unwarrantable as it is, has not been without its uses. 

 It has afi'orded abundant time for the collection, comparison, and concen- 

 tration of opinion ; able men in every walk of scholastic and professional 

 life have been consulted; many of the wisest American statesmen have 



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