A bill to provide for the disposal and management of the Smithson fund

Summary

Mr. Adams from the Joint Committee on the Smithsonian Fund reported the bill, which was read twice and committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union. The Vice President, Chief Justice, Secretaries of State and Treasury, the Attorney General, the mayor of Washington, three members of the Senate and four members of the House are the trustees of the Smithsonian Institution. The Trustees should appoint a secretary and a treasurer. No part of the fund should be applied to a school of any form. Congress will make appropriations for the Smithsonian institution from the interest on the fund but will retain the power to invest the principle. An astronomical observatory is to be established in Washington.

Subject

• Smithson, James 1765-1829
• United States Congress

Category

Smithsonian Legal Documents

Legal document information

• H. R. 1160
• Title 20, Education
• Bill

Notes

This bill is identical to S. 293. For other bills relating to the act establishing the Smithsonian Institution see S. 18, S. 259, S. 293, S. 292, S. 245, H. R. 5, H.R. 863, H.R. 386, H.R. 418, H.R. 1, H.R. 1160,

Contained within

(Documents)

Contact information

Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Institution Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu

Date

02/16/1839

Topic

• Smithson Bequest
• Trusts and trustees
• Observatories
• Act to establish the "Smithsonian Institution," for the Increase and Diffusion of Knowledge Among Men
• SI, Early History
• Schools
• Astronomy
• Regents

Form/Genre

Bill

Physical description

Number of pages: 5; Page Numbers: 1-5

Full Record

View Full Record