Mr. liESSEiDEN. The proposition of the honorable Senfrom hIassachusetts, if adopted, would certainly defeat the measure. These individuals own this property; they are willing to sell it for a certain price, and not for any sum less than that which they demand for it. Putting in the provision now suggested would simply amount to this: if a jury should find that the property was worth the amount asked for, the purchase would be made; if they should say it was worth more, the Government would lose; if the should sayit was worth less, the owners would not let us have it; so that the whole thing would be defeated unless in the contingency of the jury finding the exact sum named. All I can say about this matter is that the ComFinance have examined it several times. In the 1st place. it has been recommended overand over again by the head of the Dept and by the officer at the head of the Bureau of Yards and Docks.( I believe no one can doubt the perfect integrity of Admiral Smith, who is at the head of that bureau. It has been recommended by all the superintendents in charge of the Charlestown navyard. how, as to the amount of the sum named in the amendment, it cannot be very far out of the way. lfl am not very much misinformed this very city ofCharlestown. for purposes ofasse ssment, assessed this property u out as high as the price asked for it, although they say now it is not worth more than $00,000. I may be in error on this point, but my impressionis as I state. The read difficulty made about the price is not by anybody who felt that the Government was about to be defrauded. but by people living in Charlestown who wish to e cat the object. They are very much in trouble for fear the government will be imposed upon as to the price. The whole secret of the opposition that has been made hitherto by the people of Charles town has arisen from the fact that they wish to compel the naval authorities to build at the other extremity of the yard, away from the workshops, to carry out the wharves into deep water at a great expense to the Government, and where, after all. it is difficult to find deep water, for it is filling up there continually. The Government is put to great expense every year there for want of a place in which to store its coal. It pays a great deal more for haulin eve yearthau the interest on this money; an the government is obliged to pay an additional sum for wharfage and demurrngc. The government now occupy this property. They tool: possession of it from necessity and have ever since held it against the will of the Owners because it is absolutely necessary to the operations of the yard. There is no place there to lay vessels; we are obliged to put them off in the stream with very great difficulty and at great expense. The matter has been looked into reeatedly, and I believe the measure has never ailed to pass the ComWays&Means of the other House, and the Committee it time and a ain. The only thing that has de feated it has conthe opposition of the people in Charlestown who desire that the operations of the yard should be carried further over to ward certain property belonging to the may or and other prominent individuals there. that is the secret of the whole thing, in myjudgment. There was some contradictory testimony as to the value of the property. Some iersons tes tified that it was not worth so much as this by considerable, and others testified that it is a fair price on the whole; at any rate it is not very far out of the way, and you cannot get it for less, and it is absolutely essential. in my Judgment. that the Goiernuient should have it. on Finance of the Senate, who have examined I have been surprised a.little that the senators from Massac usetts did not take more interest in this matter; but the honorable senator who addressed the Senate just now