416 iMP^MOllIAL OF JOSKPIl HENRY. 



On the 3d of Mardi, 1855, Hon. Charles W. IJphani, chairman 

 of the Hehiet eoiiiniittcte, Kuhiiiitted to the IIoiiHi! wliat niust ])0 

 n^ganled ;is a iniiiority r(!|)ort; deehiring "No (h)uht we think 

 can beentertaine<l (hat the IVaniers and enaetorw of tlie hiw expected 

 that ahnnt '2()(),()()() (h)llarH vvouhl he expended 'for the formation 

 of a library composed of vahiahle woiks pertaining to all depart- 

 UH'.nis of knowledge/ in eight years." After <;riticising the system 

 approved by the Regents, of devoting a large portion of the Smith- 

 sonian income to the j)romotion of original research, the reixnt 

 sUites: "At the same time tluiy do not cast blame or censnreof any 

 Bort upon those who suggcjsted and have labored to carry out that 

 Hystx'in. The design was in itself commendable and elevated. It 

 has nncpuwtionably be(!n ])ursue(l with zeal, sincerity, integrity, and 

 high motives and aims: but it is we thiidi necessarily sinronnded 

 with very great dillieidti(!S. - - - Jiut a few words are needed 

 to do justice to the value of a great universal library at the m(;troj)- 

 olis of the Union:" Ac. - - - The report concludes with the 

 judgment that as a measure of mutual concession, " the compromise 

 Iidopted at an early day by the lioard of R(!gents, ought to be 

 restx)red, and tluit all desiralde ends may be vdtimately seciiircd by 

 dividing the income ecpially betwe(!n the library and museum on 

 on(! part, and the active operations on the other." This rc[)ort was 

 signed by the chairman, Mr. Ui)ham, alone; — two of the connnit- 

 tee (Messrs. William J I, Wittxi and Nathaniel G. Taylor) presenting 

 a dissenting r('|)ort, and the remaining two (Messrs. Richard C 

 l*ury<'ar and l):iniel Wells) dcitlining to sign cither. The report 

 submitted by Mr. Witte (no less elaborate; than that by the chair- 

 man) concluded: "They believe that the Regents and the Sc^cretary 

 have managed the alliiirs of the Institution wisely, faithfully, and 

 ju(li(!iously ; that tluire is no necessity for further legislation on the 

 subj(Hi; and that if the Institution be allowed to continue the plan 

 whiith has b(!«in adopted and so iar j>ursued with uiKpiestionablo 

 success, it will satisfy all the rcipiinimcnts of the law, and the pur- 

 poses of Smithson's Will, by 'increasing and dilfusing knowledge 

 among men.'"* Upon these conflicting and balanced reports no 

 action wiiH taken by the House. 



Sinndtaneously in the Senate, Hon. John M. Clayton, January 

 17, 1855, introduced a resolution "that the Committcic on the 

 Judiciary inciuire whether any, and if any — what a(;tion of the 

 Senate is necessary and propisr in. regard to the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution?" On the (Jth of February, 1855, lion. Andrew 1*. Butler, 

 (chairman of the Jndi(riary Committee, submitted to the Senate a 

 report completely vindicating the course pursued by the Regenta; 



♦ The Sinlt/uionian Inntilulion. Hy W. J. UluioH, pp. 58l)-028. 



