.MTk4.NDUwNTc

From Newberry Transcribe
Revision as of 14:30, 23 March 2020 by imported>Lizbiz
Jump to navigation Jump to search

I shall not detain you with an examination of the untoward 29 sections of this Bill __suffice it to say that, it constitutes the President, Vice-President, Heads of Department, Attorney General, Chief Justice, and Mayor of Washington, the "Smithsonian Institution," virtute oficii. No duties are assigned to them, except that of appointing "honorary members" ad libitum. They have nothing more to do with the business of the Smithsonian Institute than the same number of gentlemen dwelling in Nova Zembla. The wisdom of constituting an Institute with no powers whatever, but to blow up the bubble to larger dimensions, will appear evident if we consider that the men thus incorporated are very men who are charged with all the cares of Government for the time being, and consequently would have no leisure to attend to