48 JAMES SMITHSON AND HIS BEQUEST. 



pleased, he should vote for the bill in case it was not amended. But 

 there were some amendments to the bill of the gentleman from Indiana 

 [Mr. Owen] to which he would fain hope that gentleman himself would 

 lend a favorable ear. One related to the appropriation of a part of it 

 to the science of agriculture. He referred to the general and deplorable 

 want of information of the components of the soil, the proper mode of 

 treating it, the proper adaptation of crops to different soils, &c., and said 

 ho wished to see connected with this institution a department of agri- 

 cultural chemistry and a professor of agriculture proper. 



Mr. Bradford E. Wood, of New York, said that if ever there was a 

 point in which the national honor was concerned, it was in carrying out 

 the intentions of the testator in his bequest. He considered it an honor 

 to the country that the subject of a monarchical government should 

 have selected this as the instrument of his expansive benevolence. He 

 thought normal instruction should be left to the States, but responded 

 heartily to Mr. Hamlin's suggestion in relation to agricultural instruc- 

 tion. He would do all he could to increase and diffuse useful knowledge 

 among, the masses, but this could not and would not be attained by sucii 

 education as would be obtained here, or by collecting at this point a 

 splendid library. The latter might, and unquestionably would, benefit 

 those already learned, but not the people. 



Mr. William F. Giles, of Maryland, proposed an amendment, provid- 

 ing for the publication and distribution of books for the instruction of 

 the blind. 



Mr. W. W. Wick, of Indiana, discussed the duties of a trustee, and 

 took the ground that the Government of the United States had no dis- 

 cretion in this case as to the mode of investment of the funds. There 

 was no power given by the will of Smithson to invest the money in any 

 special manner, and the Government invested it at its own hazard. If, 

 of his own accord and without authority, a trustee made an investment, 

 he was responsible for it. Thus the United States stood in relation to 

 this matter, and to this extent they were responsible, if at all. The 

 honor of the country should be sustained by the faithful execution of 

 the trust. 



Mr. Washington Hunt, of New York, entirely concurred with Mr. 

 Wick's view of the subject. It was a reproach to the government to 

 delay carrying out the purposes of this trust. 



At length, after a full and exhaustive debate for two days, the House 

 proceeded to vote on the bill and amendments. The normal school sec- 

 tion was stricken out, on motion of Mr. Adams, by a vote of 72 to 42 ; 

 the provision for professors and lecturers by 77 to 42, as also that for 

 students. Mr. Jones's amendment, to return the money to England, 

 received 8 votes in the affirmative to 115 iij the negative. Mr. Adams's 

 proposition, to defer the organization of the institution until the State 

 of Arkansas could be induced by " moral suasion to pay up its indebt- 

 edness for interest," was voted down by 74 to 57. The provision for lee- 



