JAMES SMITHSON AND HIS BEQUEST. 39 



to do more good to this nation in our day and generation, by a judicious 

 and wise application of this $500,000 which has been put into our hands, 

 than by the application of the twenty-five or thirty millions we are in the 

 liabit of annually appropriating." 



Mr. Ohoate's amendments were adopted by the Senate and the bill 

 recommitted to be more fully matured. It was again reported to the 

 Senate on the 2d of January, including Mr. Choate's plan of a great 

 library. Mr. Woodbury endeavored again to place the Institution under 

 the management of the National Institute, but was opposed by Senators 

 Buchanan, Choate, and Tappan, on the ground that it was anti-republi- 

 can and anti-democratic to surrender all control by the people's repre- 

 sentatives iu respect to a trust committed to their custody for the people's 

 benefit, and to place it in the hands of a close body wholly irresponsible 

 to either Congress or the people. 



Mr. Woodbury replied with warmth that his plan, instead of being 

 antagonistic to Congress, made it more in subordination to it, and placed 

 stronger safeguards against auy possible departure from its commands 

 or wishes. He also believed that it would be placing a burden on the 

 Institute rather than conferring a favor upon it. 



Mr. Buchanan "could imagine no other mode of using the fund" to 

 advantage, than " the purchase of a great library," and strongly op- 

 posed any connection with the National Institute. 



Mr. William Allen, of Ohio, expressed his opposition to "any plan 

 whatever for connecting anything called an institution with the public 

 treasury." lie had never known a single instance of a fund of money, 

 charitable or otherwise, being intrusted to the care of an incorporated 

 body of men " that was not squandered and made to fall short of the 

 object of the donor." He wished to see no institution established in the 

 capital of the United States to teach the American people how to think, 

 and read, and speak, and he therefore opposed the whole project. 



Mr. Eobert J. Walker, of Mississippi, defended the National Institute 

 against the attacks made upon it ; showed that it was worthy of and 

 had received the greatest encouragement and most general favor, and 

 claimed that an institution bearing the name of a foreigner never could 

 concentrate in the same degree the affections and confidence of the 

 American peojile. 



After some further debate the bill was laid over for several days, but 

 was taken up and passed on the 23d of January, 1845. When it reached 

 the House, a substitute was offered for it by Mr. Robert Bale Owen, of 

 Indiana; but in the hurry of a short session of Congress the whole 

 matter was left undisposed of. 



On the opening of the Twenty-ninth Congress, Mr. Owen again 

 offered his bill to establish the Smithsonian Institution, and it was 

 referred to a select committee of seven members, viz, Messrs. Owen, of 

 Indiana, John Q. Adams, of Massachusetts, Timothy Jenkins, of New 



