42 JAMES SMITUSON AND HIS BEQUEST. 



science of primary education." It would also be the place where we 

 might hope to find trained, competent, and enlightened teachers for the 

 State normal schools. 



He also specially urged the importance of scientific researches. 



" In these," he said, " Smithsou spent the greater part of his life. 

 And it cannot be doubted that were he yet alive and here to-day to ex- 

 plain his wishes, original researches in the exact sciences would be de- 

 clared by him a part of his plan. With the knowledge of his life and 

 favorite pursuits before us, and the words of his will specifying the in- 

 crease as well as the diffusion of knowledge for our guide, it seems 

 nothing less than an imperative duty to include scientific research 

 among the objects of a Smithsonian Institution." 



Mr. George W. Jones, of Tennessee, made himself conspicuous on 

 this, as on many other occasions, by bitter opposition to the adoption of 

 any plan for the organization of the Institution. He believed that the 

 whole matter was wrong ; that the government had no right to accept of 

 the trust, and he i)roposed that the whole fund, in whatever form it 

 might bo, whether money or State bonds, should bo returned to any of 

 the heirs-at-law or next of kin of Mr. Smithson. lie maintained that — 



" It was neither the right, the power, or the true policy of the gov- 

 ernment to attempt to rear upon the city of Washington an institution 

 for the education of school teachers, agricultural professors, &c., to 

 send out into the country. . . . Every measure of this kind had 

 the tendency to make the people throughout the country look more to 

 this great central power than to the State governments." 



Mr. Joseph R. Ingersoll, of Pennsylvania, favored the bill of Mr. Owen, 

 and ridiculed the idea of Mr. Jones of returning the money to England. 

 He thought that a great library was not desirable, and said that the 

 necessary building to contain the greatest library in the world would in 

 its own erection exhaust the entire beliuest. The Capitol itself would 

 not contain eight hundred thousand volumes so properly arranged as to 

 be accessible. A libraTy was not the object of Smithson. A plan should 

 be adopted to cover general ground, in which all objects of science 

 should bo included. He favored that part of the bill i)roviding for nor- 

 mal instruction, and would add an appropriation for defraying the ex- 

 pense of the delivery of lectures by our most distinguished men at dif- 

 ferent points throughout the country for scientific instruction. 



Mr. Frederick P. Stanton, of Tennessee, in a brilliant and eloquent ad- 

 dress to the House, supported the bill in its present form. He maintained 

 that it was the result of the conflicting opinions of wise and experi- 

 enced men, harmonized by comparison, discussion, and mutual conces- 

 sion. He dwelt at length on the importance of advancing science, the 

 value of experimental research and observation; explained and advo- 

 cated every section of the bill, and concluded by saying: "By proper 

 management this institution may doubtless be made the instrument of 

 immense good to the whole country. To the government it will be of no 



