FIFTIETH CONGRESS, 1887-1889. 1089 
Mr. Reaaan. Mr. President, I desire to say a few words in refer- 
ence to the amendment which I have presented; but before I do that 
I wish to state that in the remarks I made at the opening of this dis- 
cussion I referred to the question as to whether we could pay this 
money to Professor Baird’s widow on account of his having been an 
officer of the Government and having received compensation for 
another service. . 
I have thought more of that. While he was appointed Secretary of 
the Smithsonian Institution under authority of an act of Congress, he 
received his compensation from the fund donated by Mr. Smithson for 
that Institution, and I take it that it would be held to be in the nature 
of any other corporation that might be created under an act of Con- 
gress and the employees of which were paid by the corporation and 
not by the Government, and would not, on that account, give rise to the 
question as to whether he could be compensated for his services as 
Fish Commissioner, in view of the fact that he had received this com- 
pensation as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. So I dismiss 
that branch of the subject. 
As stated by the Senator from Arkansas [Mr. Berry], the Senator 
from Vermont [Mr. Edmunds] before the Committee on Appropria- 
tions suggested that this was in the nature of a miscellaneous donation, 
and that idea seems to have been assented to, perhaps without a very 
full consideration of the subject, by the chairman of the Committee 
on Appropriations. If it is a donation simply, I do not see how we 
have a right to appropriate money as a donation. The Senator from 
Arkansas will see clearly the distinction between the amendment 
which I have presented and the clause reported by the committee. 
Let the Secretary read the amendment which I have presented. 
The Presiding Officer (Mr. Coartes F. Manperson in the chair). 
The Secretary will report the amendment. 
The Curer CLERK. In lieu of the proposed donnie it is now 
proposed to insert: 
For the rent of the house of the late Spencer F. Baird for the use of the United 
States Fish Commission, and for his services as United States Fish Commissioner 
from 1871 to 1886, $25,000. 
Mr. Reacan. That places the compensation on the ground that it 
had been earned. It has been stated by all those who are familiar 
with the transactions of Professor Baird that he furnished rooms in his 
house and enlarged his house for the purpose of furnishing rooms for 
the use of the Fish Commission, for which he was never compensated 
by the Government, and he also rendered very important services as 
Fish Commissioner for which he was not compensated. 
I have no objection, as I stated in the outset, to a proper and rea- 
sonable compensation for the services and the use of the property of 
Professor Baird. I do object to the $50,000 which it is proposed to 
H. Doc. 732-69 
