Books for you

M. VAN BUREN.


SPECIAL MESSAGES.

WASHINGTON, _December 6, 1838_.
_To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States_:
The act of the 1st July, 1836, to enable the Executive to assert and
prosecute with effect the claim of the United States to the legacy
bequeathed to them by James Smithson, late of London, having received
its entire execution, and the amount recovered and paid into the
Treasury having, agreeably to an act of the last session, been invested
in State stocks, I deem it proper to invite the attention of Congress
to the obligation now devolving upon the United States to fulfill the
object of the bequest. In order to obtain such information as might
serve to facilitate its attainment, the Secretary of State was directed
in July last to apply to persons versed in science and familiar with the
subject of public education for their views as to the mode of disposing
of the fund best calculated to meet the intentions of the testator and
prove most beneficial to mankind.


Pages:
545 546 547 548 549 550 551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 564 565 566 567 568 569