Mr. SUMNER. The Senator will remember that I asked him a moment ago if he had had time to look at the report from the Dept of State which has been laid upon our tables. In that report he will find those proceedings set forth at length, being a somewhat elaborate correspondence on the part of the French minister at Washington an the SecyState here, and the minister of the U.S. in Paris, and Mr. Beckwith, a citizen of the U.S., now in Paris, who has been appointed commissioner for the purposes of the exposition. In approving what the SecyState has done, I understand that we confine our a probation to what a pears in this corresponence, the etfect of whml: is simply this: 111the 1st place there was a proposition in the nature of an invitation from the French minister at Washington, in which he set forth that this exhibition was to take place, beginning on the 1st of May, 1867, and inviting the U.S. to participate therein. There the correspondence began. The SecyState exressed hi sympathy with the object propose, and communicated that to our minister in Paris. Our minister was already in relations with the French Government on the subject, and so far as he felt authorized without special instructions from home, he also had expressed his sympathy with the object proposed. By a letter to the Dept been recommended the apointment of Mr. Beck with, a citizen of the U.S. in Paris, as a commissioner to superintend the interests of the U.S. there. That recommendation was acted upon by the SecyState, and Mr. Beckmth, acting as commissioner, has proceeded to make certain arrangements with the French GOvernment for the reception of articles that shall be contributed to the exhibition by citizens of the U.S. That, in brief, is the actual condition of the case: and I understand that Congress, by passing this resolution, simply approves of whatthe Dept of State has a ready done: 1st, in expressing its sympathy with the general objects proposed; and 2ndly, in the appointment of Mr. Beckwith as an unpaid commissioner to superintend the interests of the U.S. at that exhibition. The resolution further prtiposes that a paid a cut shall be appointed at NewYork, with cler s paid according to the terms of the resolution, whose duty it shall be to upedite articles from NewYork, and generally there to superintend the interests of contributors.