Mr. SUMNER. Mr. President, I am hop y to a ree with the Senfrom Kentucky in the fun amental principle which he has laid down and developed so clearl. Iagrce with him that by no legislation O ours must we recognize the principle that contractors with the Government may never lose. The Senator cannot state that proposition too strongly. But I part company with him when he undertakes to apply the proposition to the present case. We agree on the proposition; wa disagree on the application. Had these contracts been in nperiod of ace, then there would have been occasion or the application of the proposition of the Senator; but they were not in a period of peace; they were in a period of war. The Senator himself has characterized the war as perhaps the greatest in all history. If they were not precisely in a period of war, they were in those early days which were the herulds of war. The prae tical question for us as legislators is, whether we can shut oureyes to that condition of things. The times were exceptional; and surely the remedy must be exceptional also. I have said, had it been amoment of peacc, then the Senfrom Kentucky would beright, and we should not bejustified in exercising the influence which we have over the public Treasury in opening it for the relief of these contractors. But, sir, war is a great disturbing force. What forcein human society, what force in business, is more disturbing? Wherever it goes it not only carries with it death and de struction, but the derangement of business, the change of pursuits, the interference with the currency, and generally the dislocation of the commonrelationsoflife. You cannot be blind to such a condition of things. You must not shut your eyes to its consequences. Ifyou do so you cannot do justice to the case that IS now before you. I repeat, therefore, did these contracts grow out of a period of peace I should not be here now to advocate them; but it is because they grow out of a period of war that I insist that those who have suffered by them shall enjoy that same justice which we are making haste to accord to all who have contributed to our success in that terrible war. Why. sir, hpw often do we plead in this Chamber for justice to all who have contributed to our success! It is my duty constantly to plead here for justice to those freedmen who have done so much and placed you under undying obligations. I hope Iam not indifferent also to those national creditors who have supplied the means which helped your triumph; nor yet again to those soldiers, whether on land or sea, who have so powerfnl served the national cause. But there is stilly another class, for whom no one has et spoken on this floor, who have contribute to your success not less than the soldier or the creditor; I was almost about to say not less than the freedman; I mean the mechanics of Lhis country. They, sir, have he]ed you to carry on this war to its victorious c ose. Without the mechanics where would you have been? What would have been your cquiments on the land? Where would have been that marvelous navy on the sea? It was the skilled labor of this country, coming so promptly to the rese ue, which gave you that power which carried you on from victory to victory. Now, air, the practical question is, whether these mechanics, who have done so much to turn the tide of battle, shall be losers by the skill. the labOr, and the time which they de voted to your triumph? Tell me not, sir, that they acted according to their contract. To that I reply, the war disturbed that contract, and it isyonr duty here, sitting as a high court in equity, to review all the circumstances of the case and to see iti what way the remedy may be fitly applied. You cannot turn away from the equities of themes. You cannot treat it litera y and severely according to the precise terms of the contract. You must go into those vital considerations which arise out of the peculiar circumstances of the case. There are several facts which are obvious to all. They have been alluded to already in this debate. A Senator on the other side of the Chamber has alluded to them. In the 1st place, there was the general increase in the price of labor and material that ensued after these contracts were made. Nobody doubts that. There was, then, in the 2nd place, another fact somewhat connected with the 1st. I mean the changein the currency. There was, then, in the 3rd place, what has been alluded to several times, the changes made in the models of these vessels at the Navy Dept. which necessarily imposed upon these contractors additional expense and labor. Then there was another circumstance to which my attention has been directed latterly I believe, however. the Senfrom Iowa alluded to it esterday that at the moment of the war, when bor was the highest, when it was most difficult to obtain it. there came an order from the properauthorities exempting those who labored in tearsenals and public yards of the U.S. from enrollment. Of course all who were then workin in private yards or with contractors, natural ly, so faras they could, hur ried under the national do that they might become workmen there an thus obtain exemption from enrollment. I have here an order from the Navy De artinent whichI believe has not yet been introduced into this debate, and which I will read. It is introduced by an order from the War Dept, as follows: [Circular No. 28.] Wm DEPABTIRNT, Paovosr MARSHALGrsizsiiiis OFFICE, wASHINGTON.D. (3. July 2).1864. Skilled mechanicsand operatives employedin the armories arsenals, and navy yards of the U.S. who shall be drafted and on examinntign, held toservice.Will not be required toreportfor duty under such draft solong us theyremain in the afore said service.provided the officerin chargeshall cer tify that their labor. as mechanicsor operatives, is necessaryfor the savedor militaix service. J MES B. FRY. ProooalMarshal General. Then comes the supplementary order from the Navy Dept, as follows: In accordancewith the provisions of the circular should "skilled mechanicsand operatives" employed in the raid bedrafted. the commandant will certify to the yovostMarshal General that "their labor as mseervehicaen.icTshoer oepxeermatpitvieosnisfronmecemsisliittay rfyyordtuhtey enoanvtailn" – ues only co long as the dipersonsare employed the navy yard: and should either of them loavo for any cause the fact will be immediately reported to the Provost Marshal General. the pommandzrnt will decide what operativese omeWithin the provisions of the circular. Very respectfully. GIDEON WELLES SecyNavy. To COMMANDANTS or Navy Yuma.