o Congress satisfied the two requirements most
essential to favorable consideration. These are that several
respectable citizens want something done, and that there is no one to
come forward and say that he does not want it done. Such being the
case, the act passed the House of Representatives without opposition,
came to the Senate, and was referred to the appropriate committee,
that on education, I believe. It was favorably reported from the
committee and placed on its passage. Up to this point no objection
seems to have been made to it in any quarter. Now, it was challenged
by Mr. Sumner.

The ground taken by the Massachusetts senator was comprehensive
and simple, though possibly somewhat novel. It was, in substance,
that an academy of literature, science, and art, national in its
character, and incorporated by special act of Congress, ought to be
composed of men eminent in the branches to which the academy related.
He thought a body of men consisting very largely of local lawyers,
with scarcely a man of prominence in either of the three branches to
which the academy was devoted, was not the one that should receive
such sanction from the national legislature.

Mr. J. W. Patterson, of New Hampshire, was the principal advocate
of the measure. He claimed that the proposed incorporators were
not all unscientific men, and cited as a single example the name of
O. M. Poe, which appeared among them. This man, he said, was a very
distinguished meteorologist.

This example was rather unfortunate. The fact is, the name in
question was that of a well-known officer of engineers in the
army, then on duty at Washington, who had been invited to join the
academy, and had consented out of good nature without, it seems,
much if any inquiry. It happened that Senator Patterson had, some
time during the winter, made the acquaintance of a West Indian
meteorologist named Poey, who chanced to be spending some time in
Washington, and got him mixed up with the officer of engineers.
The senator also intimated that the gentleman from Massachusetts had
been approached on the subject and was acting under the influence
of others. This suggestion Mr. Sumner repelled, stating that no one
had spoken to him on the subject, that he knew nothing of it until
he saw the bill before them, which seemed to him to be objectionable
for the very reasons set forth. On his motion the bill was laid on
the table, and thus disposed of for good. The ac