Mr. Curtis put his ship into the water on the 4th of March, 1863, and Mr. Lupton put his in the water on the 7th of June, 1868, 3 months afterward. Mr. Curtis built his ship for $97, 674 61, and Mr. Lupton made his ship cost $152, 601 37. Under oath, he stated that to be the cost. The commission did not see fit to allow him such a bill of costsasthat, but they did allow Mr. Lupton $18, 576 62, $2,000 more than they allowed anybody else, and more than 4 times as much as they allowed Mr. Curtis. I do not know that it is worth while for me to pursue these cases further. There are several more of them that I have examined, and they lead to the same result as those I have stated to the Senate. In general the work upon the bulls of the wooden vessels seems to have been done with much more rapidity, and much nearer the time at which they were to be delivered, than the work on the machinery. I suppose, when the Government was hirin hands or its navy yards and its ships, and when the men were going into the Army and the Navy, there was a difficulty in obtaining labor; butI do not understand why the difficulty was so much greater in procuring me chanics for ship machine than procuring ship carpenters in yards. rlyioth employmeuts require skill; both are carried on by artisans peculiarly fitted for the profession; and yet the men who built the hulls seem to have had far less difficulty than the men who undertook to build the machinery. But, sir, you under take by this bill to give precisely the same%age to the men who built the machinery, and from whom most of the delay came, that you do to the men who built the bulls. I do not undertake to find fault with the men who built the machinery for these vessels. I do not undertake to talk about the mechanic. I undertake to talk simply about the cases that are presented here. KIhave examined the report which has been presented here by the commission. I have taiien the testimony which these gentlemen have furnished themselves; and I can come to no other conclusion whatever than that this bill ought not to pass. I do not mean to saythat there are not some persons included in this bill who might be entitled to perhaps all that this bill proposes to give them; there are others who are perhaps entitled to the 12%. which the amendment proposes to give them; but I am entirely satised there are men here who ought not to have the 12%. I am entirely pursuaded that this leveling process of giving a%age to all these people, no matter how they have done their work, how faithfully or unfoithfully, how skillfully or unskillfully, is not the true principle of legislation. Sir. if a man has built, for instance, Army wagons under acontract with the Government, an be has found labor and material enhanced, why should you not give him 12%? If a man has made guns for the Government, whether smallarms or ordnance, by contract, why should you not give him 12%. The worked for the Government; they are mechanics; they are deserving: the derangement was the same to all.Why should you not say, by a general omnibus bill, that every body who contracted for labor and material for the Government should have 12%. over and above the contract rice? Some of them made money, it is true. but the price of labor was enhanced to them just as much, the price of machinery was enhanced just as much, and the price of material. I believe, sir, that the pending question is the motion of the Senfrom Missouri[Mr. Hasnnnson] to postpone the bill until the next session of Congress. I shall vote for the motion to postpone, ifthe friends of the bill desire to have. it postponed, if they think any measure can he arrived at which shall do justice, I mean individual justice, to these people; but if the bill is not postponedI shal vote against its passage as it stands. I know we are urged to in peg the 12%. Iknow it is said that it oes not take more than half as much as the committee report, and you had better give thatto them; the Government will hava as much to pay in the end. But, sir, I want to be more discriminating. If I pay the money, I want to pay the money to the men who ought to have it, and not to the men who do not deserve to have it. Assure me that every one of these men ought to have the 12% and I will yielil; but until that time comes must vote against the bill.