December 12, 1848-House.

The Speaker (Mr. R. C. WINTHROP) announced the call for petitions to be in order, and the call having reached the State of LouisianaMr. ISAAC H. MORSE observed that he did not rise to present a petition from the State of Louisiana, but to a privileged question, and he asked the attention of the House for a few moments. It was to the reconsideration of the vote on that part of the resolution for the adoption of the rules of the House which rejected the application for a commission on the Smithsonian Institution. He thought, without entering into any argument on this subject, that the House would see the propriety of appointing a committee, in order to meet the views expressed by the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Marsh), as well as by the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Rhett). And he had no doubt that those of their friends on this side of the House who desired to terminate all connection between the Government and this Institution would see as well the propriety of submitting this matter to a committee who would be authorized, without further instruction, to examine and see whether it would not be better, and whether it would not be carrying out the trust which the Government had solemnly accepted from the late James Smithson, to hand over all the moneys which had been received by the United States to an incorporated body, who should have the sole charge of the funds arising from this legacy. Such of the gentlemen on the other side of the House as thought the affairs of the Institution would be better managed under the surveillance of a committee must be of the opinion that it would be well to bring to the knowledge of the House the true, exact state of that Institution. It was true a very elaborate, a very able report had been made by the Regents; but it was an ex parte report, so far as the interests of this country and the House were concerned. Let a committee be appointed of capable men who should take the matter into consideration, and see whether the ends of the donor would be best carried out by keeping it under the control of this Government, or whether they would not faithfully discharge their trust, after having passed a law for the erection of suitable buildings, by disembarrassing the Government and the House from all connection with the Institution. He held it to be a responsible duty which this House had taken upon itself, and whatever might have been the opinion of gentlemen on this side of the House as to the propriety of accepting the legacy, it was now too late to interpose any objections on that score. The two Houses of Congress were under solemn obligation faithfully to discharge the duty which, as the trustees of the people of the United States and of James Smithson, they had undertaken; and that duty could only be discharged by referring the matter to a committee, impartial in its character, capable of examining, who should report the facts to this House as to the future conduct of this Institution.

He was not disposed to commit himself now to either course, whether he should be in favor of continuing the connection of this Institution with the Government or not, or whether he could see his way clear to disembarrass the Government from any further connection with it. He merely threw out the suggestion that if a committee of gentlemen on this floor should show them, should indicate clearly, that this could be done, then he apprehended there was no gentleman who would not be willing to leave it in the hands of the gentlemen who should have charge of this Institution. The bill which established. this Smithsonian Institution had passed hastily without having undergone the surveillance of any committee. It was true a distinguished gentleman had made an elaborate report from a committee appointed on this subject, accompanied by a bill, but the House would recollect that that report was rejected, and a substitute, offered by a gentleman from New York (Mr. Hough), which embodied some amendments offered by himself (Mr. Morse) and by other gentlemen, was passed, and became the act under which the Institution was at present organized. That act was imperfect in itself. His objection to it was, that so far as this House at least was concerned, it was very little discussed, very little debated. He held that Congress could not be true to its trust unless once in a year or two (if they were to continue the management of the Institution) they authorized and delegated a part of their body to examine and report all the facts of the case. He did not desire to take a position either with his friend from Vermont or his friend from South Carolina, but he did desire that this House and the country at large should be possessed of all the facts in relation to the disbursement and management of the large amount of money left by this gentleman, and committed to them as trustees, and the committee might suggest some plan better calculated to carry out the views of the distinguished donor than this hasty, imperfect act which they had passed.

With these views he moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the amendment of the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Johnson) was rejected.

The SPEAKER said it would be necessary first to move to reconsider the adoption of the resolution, and announced the question accordingly. Mr. JAMES POLLOCK moved to lay the motion to reconsider on the table, which was agreed to-yeas, 107; nays, 76; as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. Abbott, Adams, Ashmun, Atkinson, Barringer, Bayly, Beale, Belcher, Blackmar, Blanchard, Botts, Boydon, Wm. G. Brown, Butler, Canby, Chapman, Clingman, Cocke, Collamer, Conger, Cranston, Crowell, Dickey, Donnell, Garnett Duncan, Dunn, Eckert, Alexander Evans, Nathan Evans, Faran, Farrelly, Fisher, Flournoy, Fulton, Gentry, Giddings, Goggin, Gott, Green, Greeley, Gregory, Grinnell, Hale, Willard P. Hall, Nathan K. Hall, James G. Hampton, Moses Hampton, Henry, Isaac E. Holmes, Hubbard, Hunt, Charles J. Ingersoll, Jenkins, James H. Johnson, George W. Jones, John W. Jones, Daniel P. King, William T. Lawrence, Leffler, Ligon, Lincoln, Lumpkin, McIlvaine, McKay, McLane, Marvin, Morehead, Mullin, Mur

phy, Nelson, Nes, Nicoll, Outlaw, Peck, Pollock, Preston, Putnam, Rhett, Julius Rockwell, John A. Rockwell, Rumsey, St. John, Shepperd, Sherrill, Silvester, Slingerland, Caleb B. Smith, Truman Smith, Stanton, Stephens, Strohm, Strong, Tallmadge, Taylor, Thibodeaux, Thomas, James Thompson, R. W. Thompson, Robert A. Thompson, Tompkins, Van Dyke, Wallace, Warren, White, Wick, and Wilson-107.

NAYS-Messrs. Bedinger, Bingham, Bocock, Bowdon, Brady, Brodhead, Charles Brown, Albert G. Brown, Buckner, Cathcart, Clapp, Franklin Clark, Howell Cobb, Williamson R. W. Cobb, Crozier, Cummins, Daniel, Darling, Dickinson, Dixon, Duer, Edwards, Embree, Featherston, Ficklin, Freedley, French, Fries, Gaines, Hammons, Haralson, Harris, Hill, Elias B. Holmes, Inge, Irvin, Iverson, Kaufman, Kellogg, Kennon, Lahm, La Sere, Sidney Lawrence, Levin, Lord, Lynde, Maclay, Job Mann, Marsh, Miller, Morris, Morse, Palfrey, Peasley, Phelps, Richardson, Richey, Robinson, Rockhill, Root, Sawyer, Smart, Robert Smith, Starkweather, Charles E. Stuart, Jacob Thompson, John B. Thompson, William Thompson, Thurston, Tuck, Venable, Vinton, Wentworth, Wiley, Williams, and Woodward—76.

So the motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

December 30, 1847-Senate.

APPOINTMENT OF REGENTS.

By the Vice-President.

On motion of Mr. SIDNEY BREESE, it was

Ordered, That a member be appointed by the Vice-President to fill the vacancy in the Board of Regents, occasioned by the resignation of the Hon. Lewis Cass.

Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, was appointed by the Vice-President.

December 22, 1847-House.

APPOINTMENT OF REGENTS.

By the Speaker.

The Speaker (Mr. R. C. WINTHROP) reappointed Henry W. Hilliard, of Alabama, a regent of the said Institution; and appointed George P. Marsh, of Vermont, and Robert McClelland, of Michigan, to the Board of Regents on the part of the House, in the place of W. J. Hough and R. D. Owen, whose terms had expired.

March 4, 1848-Senate.

APPOINTMENT OF REGENTS.

By joint resolution.

Mr. JEFFERSON DAVIS, of Mississippi, on leave, introduced a joint resolution appointing regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Referred to the Committee on the Library.

December 11, 1848-Senate.

Mr. JEFFERSON DAVIS, of Mississippi, on leave, introduced joint resolution:

Resolved, etc., That the vacancies in the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, of the class "other than members of Congress," be filled by the reappointment of the late incumbents, viz: Rufus Choate, of Massachusetts, and Gideon Hawley, of New York.

Mr. DAVIS explained the necessity for the immediate passage of the resolution, as a meeting of the Regents would take place on Wednesday, and it was important that the Board should be fully organized. Passed.

December 11, 1848-House.

The joint resolution of the Senate for the appointment of Regents in the Smithsonian Institution was taken up and passed.

December 19, 1848.

Resolved, etc., That the vacancies in the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, of the class "other than members of Congress," be filled by the reappointment of the late incumbents, viz: Rufus Choate, of Massachusetts, and Gideon Hawley, of New York.

(Stat. IX, 417.)

REPORT OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.

January 5, 1848-House.

The Speaker (Mr. R. C. WINTHROP) laid before the House a report from the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, showing the operations, expenditures, and condition of that Institution for the past year. Mr. JOHN W. HOUSTON, of Delaware, moved to lay the report on the table, and that it be printed.

Mr. ANDREW JOHNSON, of Tennessee, called for a division of the question, so as to take the question separately on each branch of the motion.

The question was divided accordingly, and the report was ordered to be laid on the table. The question then recurring on the motion to print

Mr. JOHNSON, of Tennessee, opposed the printing at present. The House saw, in the proposition to print this cumbrous document, a beginning of what had been anticipated by some who were opposed to this Institution. Here was a long report, accompanied by many documents, and this House was called upon to print them, and he expected they would have a proposition soon to print an extra number. It was true the law establishing this Institution provides that the Regents should make a report to the House, but before this report was printed, before an order to print was made, the Committee on the Smithsonian Institution ought to be established and ought to report to the House the propriety of having this report and the accompanying documents printed.

Perhaps it might be considered by some, as he from the beginning had opposed this Institution, that he had some personal dislike to those connected with it, or that he was operated upon from some other unworthy consideration, that produced his opposition to it. He availed himself of this occasion to disavow anything of this kind. this committee established; he wanted everything connected with this

He wanted

Institution referred to this committee. Let that committee report the result of their investigation to this House.

But while he was upon the floor, there were some other things to which he would advert, for it was very difficult for him to get the floor here on any given subject. He had had the honor of making a few remarks the other day upon the resolution providing for the establishment of a committee upon the Smithsonian Institution; but before he had concluded his remarks the House adjourned, and the resolution had laid over from that day. The whole thing was left in the fog, and no one could tell when it would be reached again.

He had no personal hostility to this Institution. He appreciated and approved the design of the donor. He thought the motives and intentions of Mr. Smithson were good; but this thing had received an improper direction, and was already beginning, as he had remarked, to result in a large annual expenditure to this Government, and Congress were called upon to appropriate sum after sum for printing and for other expenses in getting up this Institution, which was to result in no good to the Government or the country. What good could result from this Institution, with its peculiar organization? Why, it would have been much better, and would no doubt have fulfilled the good intentions and motives of the man's heart, had he bequeathed this sum to the United States to be expended in erecting schoolhouses of some description in this District, and in the districts throughout the country, in which the common children of the country could be educated. It would have been diffusing knowledge among men more profitably, more in accordance with the design of the donor. But what good has this Institution done, as now organized?

June 1, 1848-Senate.

On motion of Mr. JEFFERSON DAVIS, of Mississippi,

Resolved, That one thousand additional copies of the report of the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution be printed for the use of the Senate.

July 7, 1848-Senate.

On motion of Mr. JAMES A. PEARCE,

Resolved, That one hundred and fifty copies of the report of the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, printed for the use of the Senate, be furnished to the Secretary of the Institution, for the use of said Institution.

February 19, 1849-House.

Mr. H. W. HILLIARD presented a report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, showing the operations, expenditures, and condition of that Institution to the present time. Laid on the table, and ordered to be printed.

February 22, 1849-Senate.

Mr. JAMES M. MASON presented the annual report of the Regents. of the Smithsonian Institution; and moved that one thousand copies be printed for the use of the Senate. Agreed to.

H. Doc. 732-30