Mr. HOWE. If we had a bill here directing a surveyto be made by the engineers of the Government and providing for appropriations out of the national Treasury to complete the work when the surveys had been made, then, it is true, we should have such a proposition, and upon that we could vote; but unless the Government proposes to build the canal there is no reason why the Government should survey the line of it or estimate its expense. The simple question for us to consider is, is it a work of national importance, of sufficient importance to the nation to warrant us, not in giving money to its construction, but in loaning money to those who shall undertake its construction? Upon this question, whether it is a work of national importance or not, I shall not spend a moment’s time, for the plain reason that nobody denies it. Everybody here admits that it is a work of the very 1st importance to the whole country. If it is a work of that importance, then it is to be executed. If it isto be executed somebody lhould do it. If anybody is to do it, it must be done by the Government or by private individuals either associated into a.company or not. Senators may say it should be done by the Government. The 1st answer I have to make to that suggestion is, that the Government has stood here nearly 100 years and has not attempted it; and I think I am authorized to so that unless by some such measure as this it he attempted the Government will stand here 200 years longer and will not attempt it. If, then, you wilfrely on the Government to execute this eu terprise by appropriations out of the national Treasury, it is to be postponed, not till next December, but until a million of December: have passed us by. But why should the Government execute this work by appropriations out of its own Treasury? The Senfrom Maine says that it may have control of the work when it is done‘. The Senfrom Iowa says that it may have control over the tolls upon the work. Why, sir, when the Government has executed this work by appropriations out of its own Treasury its tolls will be subject only to the control of Congress, and the use of the canal will be subject only to the control of Congress. Sir, whoever reads the bill as it lies on his desk will see that that same control is given in both respects over this canal when it is built by a private company. Regarded as a measure of national defense the Senfrom Maine urges that we ought not to pass the control over to a company. Why? What does the nation want of it as a measure of defense but to pass its gunboats, its troops, its property to and fro upon it? Under the provisions of this bill that can be done by the sanctions of law and without paying a dollar’s tribute. You have just as complete, just as absolute control over this work for the purposes of national defense when built by a company under this bill as you could have it' you built it yourselves and out of your own Treasury. The Senfrom Iowa says it will be built more cheapl by a company than by the government. Ihold him to the admission. I say, then, by so much as it will be built cheaper by a company than by the Government, by so much is the country benefited in the mere matter of economy.