FIFTIETH CONGRESS, 1887-1889. 1071 
Mr. President, there never was and there never will be a govern- 
ment, and there ought not to be a government, that is based upon such 
principles and such a policy. 
Mr. Cuttom. I move, in line 22, to strike out the word “fifty,” 
before ‘‘ thousand,” and to insert ‘‘ twenty-five,” if the amendment is 
in order. 
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The amendment of the Senator from 
Illinois to the amendment of the Committee on Appropriations will 
be stated. 
Mr. Cuttom. I ask the chairman of the committee whether he will 
not accept the amendment I propose? 
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The amendment will be stated. 
The CureF CLERK. On page 49, line 22, in the amendment of the 
Committee on Appropriations, it is proposed to strike out ‘‘ fifty” 
and insert ‘‘ twenty-five,” so as to read ‘*$25,000.” 
The PrEstpENT pro tempore. The question is on agreeing to the 
amendment of the Senator from Illinois to the amendment of the 
Committee on Appropriations. 
Mr. Wii. B. Atuison. If it is the general sense of the Senate 
that the sum of $50,000 is too large, I shall yield, of course, to that 
judgment. I shall be glad if the sense of the Senate will be that some 
sum is equitably and fairly due to the widow of Professor Baird. He 
certainly performed very eminent service, and I do not think that he 
was, in the sense stated by the Senator from Tennessee and others, 
an employee of the Government. He received his compensation from 
and his services were rendered for an institution founded by a person 
not a citizen of his own country. 
His salary was paid from the Smithsonian fund and was not appro- 
priated from the Treasury. He devoted the years of his life from 
1871 largely to this service, and, as has been stated by the Senator 
from Florida, he not only did that, but contributed what others would 
have charged a considerable sum for annually, namely, the place 
where the work of the Fish Commission was done. I think Professor 
Baird’s services deserve some recognition at the hands of Congress. 
Mr. Harris. Will the Senator from Iowa allow me to ask him if he 
holds that the Government owes to the estate of Professor Baird a 
debt? 
Mr. Atuison. If the Government could be sued as a citizen could 
be sued in the courts, it is probable that Professor Baird’s representa- 
tives could not recover from the Government for the service, because 
he never made any charge for the service or pretended to do so. 
Mr. Harris. Will the Senator allow me to ask him if he does not 
recognize the amendment as proposing to take out of the Treasury and 
donate in the form of a gift in recognition of distinguished services 
the amount of money proposed to be appropriated 
