FIFTIETH CONGRESS, 1887-1889. 1085 
Mr. Brox. I am not accurately informed as to the circumstances of 
his family, but I understand from the Senator from Vermont [Mr. 
Edmunds] that they have an income of about $1,200 or $1,500 a year. 
_ I think that is the statement of Senator Edmunds, but I do not know 
about it personally. 
' Mr. Harris. If I understand the Senator from Kentucky, the Sen- 
ator from Maryland, the Senator from Massachusetts, and the Senator 
from New York, they all claim and make statements that amount to 
the establishment of a debt against the Government for rent and the 
services of Professor Baird. Now, if the Government owes to the 
estate of Professor Baird $1 or.$50,000 or $100,000, it ought to 
be paid. No one’appreciates the distinguished services of that very 
distinguished and eminent man more than I; but the thing that I pro- 
tested against and now protest against is levying and collecting taxes 
and donating the money to the estate of Professor Baird or any other 
human being; and I simply desired to know if I understood the Sen- 
ator from Kentucky and other Senators correctly. Whatever we owe 
we ought to pay, and nobody is more ready to pay than I am, but I 
am not here to make donations. 
Mr. Brecx. Mr. President, I do not believe that the estate of Pro- 
fessor Baird has any claim that it could go into court and collect by 
law, but I believe that we morally and equitably owe every dollar of 
this money to Professor Baird and his family just as much as any debt 
that we owe for labor honestly done and for accommodations for our 
employees in our service fairly furnished. I consider it as just an 
obligation as was ever paid out of the Treasury. 
I do not care about stating what we have done in many other regards, 
what we have given to generals and their widows and their families, 
for I do not desire to make any contrasts of that sort; but I repeat 
that, while I do not believe the estate could collect it in the Court of 
Claims, it is an honest debt, and I shall vote for it cheerfully, and I 
believe my people will cheerfully consent to be taxed to pay it, because 
I insist that we owe this debt morally and equitably, if not legally, as 
much so as any debt ever due by the Government. The very fact that 
we are not forced to pay it adds, I think, to the reputation of the 
United States for doing justice when the facts are laid before Congress. 
I remember the pride we all took in the great expositions that were 
held abroad, when Professor Baird arranged all our exhibits to be sent, 
making a contrast between the progress made by our people and the 
people of other nations. Even the fishermen of Sweden and Norway, 
who were thought to be ahead of all the world, were astonished at the 
development we had made in that direction. Professor Langley wrote 
me a letter, which I filed with the committee, in which he said: 
I dare not attempt to estimate the practical value of the work of the Commission 
to the country, but can not doubt that it amounts to very many millions of dollars. 
