Mr. FESSENDEN. This talk about objection being made to every appropriation the; is proposed for that section of country is very rash. Examination will show that since that region has been a part of the U.S. there is no section of the country to which so time money has been appropriated. My friendfrom Maryland [Mr. Jonusou] suggests to me that it has received more than all other sections combined. I do not go so far as that; but there is not a section of the country that compares with the Pacific coast in the amount of appropriations which have been made for the accommodation of travel and for all other matters connected with the country. Any charge, therefore, with relation to that matter, is most unjust to Congress. Now, sir, what is it that I ask in reference to this bill?Ido not say that I shall be opposed to itif the necessity for the appropriation is shown; but what I contend or is that this loose method of legislation is most unwise and most dangerous. Let us have the statistics. It is not enough for a Senfrom that section of the country, however high he may stand and whatever credit we may give to his statements, to get 11 here, and for us, on his sin gle statement otPwhat he thinks with reference to such a matter, to pass a bill appropriating $100,000 to begin a work the final cost of which we do not know. What I want is that there shall be a report on the subject from a commit tee, that we may rely upon a report made after a thorough investigation of the question. In the 1st place, is this a military road? The Senator oes not pretend that it is a military road, properly socalled. It is not called a military road; it is called a wagon road; and yet the ComMilAffrs, of which the honorable Senfrom Oregon is a member, and an influential member. reports the bill. With the vast amount of business that committee has in regard to military affairs, it must be, perhaps, a little difficult to suppose that they can investigate all questions of this kind which do not properly bekong to them. Then we have no report, we have no recommendation from the dept on the subject; We have no pointing out of the route; we have no survey; we have no statistics; we have no calculations upon which to proceed. We are called upon to begin a war of this kind on the mere statement of a Senator, coming from a committee. Now, sir. whatever credibility I give to that and I give t'o‘the Senfrom Oregon all that I would to any other member of the Senate, and I repose confidence in all his stateinentsL this kind of legislation is loose and dangerous, and ought not to be indulged in by the Senate. It is a new practice which has grown up, I am sorry to say, within a very few years, and it does Congress no credit whatever. We ought to know more about these things before we commence works of this description and appropriate these large sums of money for them.