In addition to the foregoing, $125,000 have been expended since the fire in 1865 on that part of the building required for the accommodation of the museum, the interest on which, at six per cent., would be $7,500 annually.

The bequest to found this institution was from a foreigner who never visited the United States. He bequeathed his fortune with unreserved confidence to our Government for the advancement of science, to which he had devoted his own life. The sacredness of the trust is enhanced from the fact that it was accepted after the death of him by whom it was confided. The only indications of his intentions which we possess are expressed in the terms of his will. It therefore became of the first importance that the import of these terms should be critically analyzed and the logical inference from them faithfully observed. The whole is contained in these few and explicit words:

"To found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among

These terms have a strictly scientific import, and are susceptible of a series of definite propositions.

First. The bequest is for the benefit of mankind; not to be confined to one country, to one race, but to all men of all complexions.

Second. The objects of the institution are primarily to increase, and secondly, to diffuse knowledge among men, and these objects should not be confounded with each other.

The will makes no restriction of any kind of knowledge, hence, every branch of science capable of advancement is entitled to a share of attention.

Though the terms of the will are explicit and convey precise scientific ideas to those who are acquainted with their technical significance, yet to the public generally they might seem to admit of a greater latitude of construction than has been put upon them. It is, therefore, not surprising that at the commencement, improper conceptions of the nature of the bequest should have been entertained or that Congress in the act of organization should direct the prosecution of objects incompatible with the strict interpretation of it or to impose burdens upon the institution tending materially to affect its usefulness.

The principal of such burdens was the direction to provide a building on an ample scale to make provision for the accommodation of the collections of Government, consisting of all the specimens of nature and art then in the city

of Washington or that might hereafter become the property of the Government by exchange or otherwise.

Though the majority of the Board of Regents did not consider the expenditure of a large amount of the income on this subject in accordance with the will of Smithson, they could not refuse to obey the injunction of Congress, and proceeded to erect an extended building and to take charge of the museum of the Government. The cost of this building, which at first was $325,000, has been increased by the reparation of damages caused by the fire to $450,000, the whole of which has been defrayed from the annual income. Notwithstanding this burden the institution has achieved a reputation as wide as the civilized world, has advanced almost every branch of knowledge, and presented books and specimens to hundreds of institutions and societies in this country and abroad.

It is not a mere statical establishment, as many may suppose, supporting a corps of individuals whose only duty is the exhibition of the articles of the show museum; but a living, active organization that has by its publications, researches, explorations, distribution of specimens and exchanges, vindicated the intelligence and good faith of the Government in administering a fund intended for the good of the whole community of civilized men. It has at the same time collected a library, principally of the transactions and proceedings of learned societies, the most perfect one of the kind in the world, consisting of fifty thousand works; also a collection of engravings illustrative of the progress and early history of the arts, both of which it has transferred to the Library of Congress. It is not alone the present value of the books which it has placed in the possession of the Government, but also that of the perpetual continuation of the several series contained therein.

The institution has continued to render important service to the Government from its first organization until the present time by examining and reporting on scientific questions pertaining to the operations of the different departments, and in this way, particularly during the war, it is not too much to say that it has saved the United States many millions of dollars.

Let me say one word more before leaving this subject. As I have shown, the real purpose of the donation of Smithson which the Board of Regents have tried to promote as well as they could was to extend and circulate means of scientific information; and the management of

the institution has always resisted the tendency to keep up and increase this museum at the expense of this fund.

Recently the institution has given over to the Library of Congress a collection of fifty thousand volumes, constituting probably the most perfect scientific library in the world. But we are still charged as an institution with the cost of this rapidly-increasing museum. Now, the Regents would be glad if Congress would take this museum off their hands and provide otherwise for the care of it. It is a charge imposed upon the institution by law, a charge which it never sought and is not desirous to retain. At the time when this museum was first placed in the custody of the institution it cost but $4,000 a year to keep it in the Patent Office. Now the care of that museum costs three times that amount. I hope therefore that the committee will vote $10,000 instead of $4,000 for this purpose.

Mr. SPALDING. Mr. Chairman, I am very sorry to find the Smithsonian Institution among the leeches that are all the while crying to the Treasury of the United States, "Give, give!" The Smithsonian is a wealthy institution. The Government of the United States is continually paying it gold interest on the large fund belonging to the institution; but the institution is not willing to bear this little additional expense, as it is called, from its own means, but wishes to obtain the money from the public Treasury. The men who pay the taxes must contribute the additional sum to this wealthy institution.

Sir, we have loaned to that institution the National Museum. We have paid the institution for a series of years $4,000 annually in cash for taking care of that museum. The institution has been content with that sum heretofore; but now it comes in and asks an appropriation of $10,000 for this purpose. Sir, we had better take away the museum from the care of that institution. I had almost said we had better throw it into the Potomac than be constantly paying these increased demands from the Smithsonian Institution. That is the light in which the committee have viewed the subject; and in that light they protest against this increase.

The amendment was not agreed to.

March 2, 1869.-Joint resolution_reappointing Louis Agassiz a Regent of the Smithsonian Institution, passed.

FORTY-FIRST CONGRESS.

SENATE, January 18, 1870.

On motion of Mr. TRUMBULL, that the vacancy in the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, caused by the death of Hon. W. P. Fessenden, be filled; the VicePresident appointed Mr. Hannibal Hamlin a regent.

March 30, 1870.-Annual report for 1869 presented, and ordered to be printed.

Mr. TRUMBULL offered a resolution to have additional copies printed.

July 13, 1870.-Mr. ANTHONY reported, from the Committee on Printing, the resolution of the House of Representatives to print 10,000 additional copies of the Smithsonian report, which was concurred in.

January 26, 1871.-Letter of resignation, as Regent of the Smithsonian Institution, from General Richard Delafield, read, as follows, and laid on the table:

WASHINGTON, D. C., January 25, 1871. SIR: The period of six years, for which I was appointed a Regent of the Smithsonian Institution, under a joint resolution of the Senate and House of Representatives, expires in February.

I believe the welfare and the best interest of the institution may be subserved by tendering my resignation of this trust and responsibility at the present date, that the Board of Regents and Congress may have the neces sary time to appoint my successor and enable him to attend the annual meeting of the Board of Regents, now about to take place.

I have requested Hon. J. A. Garfield to present my resignation as a Regent to the board at its first meeting, and should the occasion require, request you will state the fact to the Senate of my having tendered my resignation for the reasons herein stated.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

RICHARD DELAfield, Brigadier General U. S. A., (retired.)

Hon. SCHUYLER COLFAX, Vice-President of the U. S.,

Member of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. January 27, 1871.-Mr. IIAMLIN offered the following resolution; which was adopted:

Resolved, &c., That General William T. Sherman be, and he is hereby, appointed a member of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, in the place of General Richard Delafield, resigned.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, February 2, 1870.

THE SPEAKER announced the appointment of the following Regents of the Smithsonian Institution: Mr. Luke P. Poland, Mr. James A. Garfield, Mr. Samuel S. Cox.

April 20, 1870.-The resolution by the Senate to print 13,000 additional copies of the report of the Smithsonian Institution was objected to.

June 7, 1870.-Mr. ASPER offered a resolution that 2,000 copies of the reports of the Smithsonian Institution for 1866, '67, '68 be printed from the stereotype plates.

The following letter from Professor Henry, was read:

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, WASHINGTON, D. C., May 28, 1870.

MY DEAR SIR: I have the honor, with your permission, to address you in relation to extra copies of the reports of this institution, for which the demand has of late years become so great that the number ordered by the House for its members has not been sufficient to supply more than half their constituents who desire them. During the last three years, and especially during the year just passed, so numerous have been the demands upon us for copies of reports that our stock is entirely exhausted. The report gives not only an account of the operations of the institution, but also, in an appendix, a series of translations which exhibit the progress of science in foreign countries. A copy is sent to each of the foreign correspondents of the establishment; to colleges, public libraries, and learned societies publishing transactions; to meteorological observers of the institution; to contributors of the material to the library or museum, and to persons engaged in teaching or in special scientific research, so far as the number of copies furnished to the institution will allow.

In view of these facts, I would respectfully suggest that there be struck off from the stereotype plates of the reports for 1866, 1867, and 1868, now in the hands of the Public Printer, 2,000 copies of each volume-1,000 for the use of the House and the other 1,000 for distribution by the institution. I have the honor to be, very truly, your obedient servant,

Hon. J. F. Asper,

U. S. House of Representatives.

JOSEPH HENRY,

Secretary Smithsonian Institution.

Referred to Committee on Printing.

July 12, 1870.-Mr. LAFLIN reported the following resolution from the Committee on Printing, which was adopted:

Resolved, &c., That 10,000 additional copies of the report of the Smithsonian Institution for the year 1869 be printed, 3,000 of which shall be for the use of the Senate, 4,000 for the use of the House, and 3,000 for the use of the Smithsonian Institution: Provided, That the aggregate number of pages of said report shall not exceed 450, and there shall be no illustrations except those furnished by the Smithsonian Institution.

December 12, 1870.-Mr. INGERSOLL offered the following resolution :

Resolved, That there be printed, from stereotyped plates now in possession of the Public Printer, 2,000 copies each of the reports of the Smithsonian Institution, for the years 1865, 1866, 1867, 1868; 1,000 of these to be for the use of the members of the House, and 1,000 for distribution by the Smithsonian Institution.

January 30, 1871.-On motion of Mr. POLAND, the House took up and passed the joint resolution appointing General William T. Sherman a Regent of the Smithsonian Institution, in the place of General Richard Delafield, resigned. February 24, 1871.-The Clerk read as follows:

"For continuing the completion of the survey of the Colorado of the