1684 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 
among men, and by that name shall be known and have perpetual succession with 
the powers, limitations, and restrictions hereinafter contained, and no other.”’ 
And be further amended by striking out of section 5580 the words ‘‘the governor 
of the District of Columbia.”’ 
And be further amended by adding to section 5591 as follows: 
‘* Provided, That this shall not operate as a limitation on the power of the Smith- 
sonian Institution to receive money or other property by gift, bequest, or devise, and 
and to hold and dispose of the same in promotion of the purposes thereof.’’ 
The amendment was agreed to. 
Mr. Wiixrinson Catt. I should be glad to hear the Senator from 
Connecticut explain the changes proposed to be made in the existing 
law and the purpose of them. 
Mr. Puatt. The first change is to substitute the ‘‘ Secretary of the 
Interior ” for the ‘‘ Commissioner of Patents” among the corporators. 
The law now embraces all the heads of Departments except the Secre- 
tary of the Interior, and for that Department the Commissioner of 
Patents is named. It is thought that there should be no distinction 
between the Departments in that respect. That is all with regard to 
the first change. 
The second proposition is to strike out from the present statutes 
‘the governor of the District of Columbia.” There is no such officer. 
The amendment is merely to perfect the law in that respect. 
The third removes a possible doubt as to whether the Smithsonian 
Institution is authorized to receive bequests and gifts. 
That is all there is to the bill. 
Mr. Cat. I shall make no objection to the passage of the bill, but 
I should like to suggest for the consideration of the Senate and of 
the committee from which this bill comes that there ought to be a 
scientific department of this Government. This great Institution 
should be under the charge of scientists who are directly connected 
with the great questions which are submitted to that Institution for 
examination. 
It seems to me to be quite an anomaly that the extraordinary 
bequest of Mr. Smithson, which ought to be capable of so much benefi- 
cence and of such vast and extended influence should be set aside 
under the charge of Cabinet officers, never to receive any considera- 
tion and only to be treated in occasional notices in bills of appro- 
priation. 
The bill was reported to the Senate as amended, and the amendment 
was concurred in. 
The bill was passed. 
The title was amended so as to read: ‘‘A bill to amend an act entitled 
‘An act to establish the Smithsonian Institution for the increase and 
diffusion of knowledge among men,’ being Title LXXIII of the 
Revised Statutes.” 
