Mr. GRIMES. I think there is no very valid objection to this resolution as amended by the ComForRel and reported by them to the Senate. If it shall be enacted into a law, Congress will substantially agree to do on the part of the U.S. what the Russian Government has agreed to do. It will be observed by the letter which has just been read, that the telegraph company applied to the Russian Government for a vesselotwar to as grist in the surveys along the coast of Russia. As amended by the ComForRel, the vesselofwar that will be detailed for this specific purso will be authorized to make soundings and )0surveys between the Rus sian coast and the American coast, and to remder any other assistance that it maybe compat ible for a vesselofwor to render, provided such assistance shall not require her to be disman tled or her elliciency as a vesselofwar to be destroyed or impaired. It is very proper, I think, that this Government, even if this tele grn. li company was not in question, should may e surveys of that coast and of Behrin s straits, and of the sea where it is said this the e raph cable was to be laid. I understand we Iiave 160 vessels that annu ally pass through Behrings straits; and I had intended during this session to introduce a bill providing for the Government taking up the surveys that were commenced some years ago by Commodore Ring old and Commodore Rod fers, and carrying ticm forward. This reso ution, ifitpasses, will be rather in anticipation of that which I think the Government ought to do. As it has been amended, I think there can be no particular objection to the resolution. In regard to the bill which was passed 2 years ago, I will say that the great objection, and an objection which at the time knew must. be raised to it, was that there was no appropriation accompanying it. It authorized a vesselofwar to be dispatched for a specific purpose without any appropriation accompanying the grant of that authority, and therefore there was no power in the SecyNavy to carryit into execution; and that I suppose was one of the reasons why the SecyNavy entered into an agreement with the SecyTreasury by which a Treasury vessel was disatched in that direction and a naval vessel perormed Treasury duties on the coast of California.