FIFTIETH CONGRESS, 1887-1889. 1073 
_ time immemorial asa kind of court of chancery to consider claims 
against the Government which could not be recognized, which the Goy- 
ernment does not regard as legal obligations, and Congress will not 
delegate to any tribunal the power to enforce them; but it has been in 
the habit, during all the time it has been constituted, to consider claims 
of an equitable character. It seems to me that whena man voluntarily, 
without compensation, renders services of the great value that this man 
did, to say that he should not be compensated, that it did not raise an 
equitable obligation which Congress should consider, is to repudiate all 
considerations of equitable claims in Congress. 
It seems to me that the services in this case were meritorious accord- 
ing to any idea I can conceive of, and that they were vastly more 
valuable than $50,000. They were rendered through years of diligent 
service by an eminent man who was not in the habit of driving hard 
bargains, but who was devoted to his country, and who developed a 
great industry. The Government and the people have had the advan- 
tage of his services. It appears to me that the Government would be 
very unmindful of its duties and obligations to its citizens if it would 
not reward such services as these. 
> Mr. Henry W. Buarr. I should like to ask the Senator from Ten- 
nessee a question. I ask him where he finds the constitutional power 
for the Government to pay the expenses of burying a dead Senator 
who dies at home in vacation ? 
Mr. Harris. I do not know that I can find that at all; I finda i thou- 
sand things done that I regret to see. The records Beasts with uncon- 
stitutional usurpations of power. I regret that it is so. 
Mr. Buarr. Does the Senator think that an assumption of unconsti- 
tutional power? 
Mr. Harris. I am not prepared to say that I do or that I do not, 
because I have not looked narrowly to that question; but does the 
Senator from New Hampshire hold this to be a debt to Professor 
Baird? 
Mr. Buarr. I do not know the circumstances of the case. 
Mr. Harris. I suppose not. 
Mr. Buatr. I have been present only a few ionic during the 
discussion, but from what I know of Professor Baird and his work I 
think we should give $25,000 if there is any want on the part of his 
family, and I would give it in the same way that I think it is essential 
that the Government of the United States shall be empowered to do a 
decent and fair thing, exactly as much so as an individual citizen. 
Mr. G. F. Hoar. Mr. President, the case is exactly this: A citizen 
of a foreign country made a munificent donation to the people of the 
United States for the advancement of science, and a distinguished man 
whose life had been devoted to natural science was appointed to admin- 
ister, that fund, and was paid for it. He gave one man’s full work, 
H. Doc. 732 68 
