1839 Smithsonian Institution Bill — John Quincy Adams — Proposed National Observatory — Original Congressional Printing

An early legislative document in the development of the Smithsonian Institution: House Bill 1160, reported by former President John Quincy Adams from the Joint Committee on the Smithsonian Fund on February 16, 1839.

Issued during the third session of the Twenty-Fifth Congress, this five-page bill proposes a framework for administering James Smithson’s bequest to the United States for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.

Its provisions establish a proposed governing body, authorize the appointment of a secretary and treasurer, protect the fund’s principal, and provide for interest at six percent annually. Particularly noteworthy is the appropriation of $30,000 toward an astronomical observatory in Washington, equipped with scientific instruments and books, with provision for publishing observations and a nautical almanac.

The bill records John Quincy Adams’s vision for the Smithsonian as a center for astronomical research. It predates the institution’s establishment in 1846 and represents an earlier proposal rather than the final enacted charter.

Washington, 1839. Five printed pages, with numbered legislative lines, housed in later marbled-paper wrappers. Adams’s name appears in print; unsigned.

Condition: Light age toning, minor spotting and edge wear, small marginal chips or nicks, and pencil annotations on the first page. Text appears complete through page five. Attractive later marbled wrappers.

A desirable document connecting presidential history, American astronomy, and the origins of the Smithsonian Institution.