FIFTY-FIRST CONGRESS, 1889-1891. 1417 
The Speaker. ‘‘ Heads of Executive Departments” is the language 
of the rule. 
Mr. Entor. I understand; but the Regents of the Smithsonian are 
not under the jurisdiction of any Department of the Government. 
A Member. And consequently do not come under the rule. 
Mr. Entor. They are virtually the head of a Department, and I 
should think they come within the meaning of the rule. 
The Speaker. They are not heads of any Executive Department. 
Mr. Entor. Furthermore, I will state that on yesterday morning 
- the gentleman from Massachusetts, the chairman of the Committee on 
Expenditures in the Interior Department [Mr. Banks], told me that 
he would bring the matter up and that the Speaker had agreed that 
it should be brought up and considered this morning. Upon that 
ground I passed it over yesterday morning, and I would like to have 
it disposed of now, because the Regents meet to-morrow. 
The Speaker. The gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Banks] did 
speak to the Chair with regard to it, and the fault, if there be any, is 
not his. The Chair was not aware that the matter would come up 
now. There is apparently some misunderstanding; but the Chair 
makes this statement so that the gentleman from Massachusetts may 
be exonerated from any responsibility for it. 
Mr. Enxtorz. Dol understand the Chair to hold that this is not a 
privileged resolution 4 
The Speaker. The Chair does not see how it comes under the priv- 
ilege for which the rule provides. 
Mr. Entor. Then I will ask the Chair, to whom should such a reso- 
lution of inquiry be addressed in order to make this a privileged 
matter? What department has jurisdiction of the Regents of the 
Smithsonian Institution 4 
The Speaker. The Chair could not tell that without some investi- 
gation. 
Mr, Entor. J admit that this does not come within the rule tech- 
nically, but there is no other way to get the information than by 
addressing the inquiry directly to the Regents. I ask that the reso- 
lution be considered now. It will take but a few minutes. 
‘The Speaker. The Chair thinks it is clearly not one of the cases 
contemplated by the rule, and the Speaker resumed the chair while a 
division was going on because he saw that the gentleman temporarily 
occupying the chair had not talked with the gentleman from Tennes- 
see on the subject. If the gentleman can at any time show that this 
is a question of privilege, the Chair will entertain his motion at the 
proper time, but at present there does not seem to be any foundation 
laid for it. 
Mr. Entor. Then at some other time the Chair will listen to an 
argument on the question of its being privileged ? 
