Mr. FOSTER. I cannot believe that this amendment will occasion any such delay as the Senfrom Maine suggests. The officers who go to Portland will of course pass NewLondon on their way if they go from this section of country, and if they come from the other section, and come this way, they must pass NewLondon. It is certainly perfectly feasible and practicable for the officers who may be charged with this duty at Portland to make an examination at NewLondon with verylittle delay. The report in regard to boltb harbors may be had instead of only one, and that without any such delay as to embar rass the measure at all. If it shall turn out on the examination that the officers cannot examine both places, and that Portland will thereby be prejudiced, I shall be perfectly Is the amendment open to willing, after that shall be ascertained, to aban don my amendment, and have the report made leaving out NewLondon. If it shall be as certained by the Senator that the officers in charge of this work cannot make an exami nation of both harbors so that we can have the comparison I shall then consent to change the resolution, and have the harbor of Portland examined and a report made on that alone; but Irepeat I have no idea that this exami nation will occasion a delay of 3 days. It will be wholly unimportant so far as the delay to Portland is concerned, and I do think that there can be no injury to the Senate, to the country, to anybody if we have this examination so that we can compare the 2 harbors of Portland and NewLondon together, and so decide on their relative and absolute merits. The previous examination which has been alluded to. so far from being a reason why this should not be done, is a reason why it should, and is a conclusive reason against what is now urged by wa of delay. That examination will probably aid, the Officers so far in making the present one that in a very short period of time the examination can be made so as to he satisfactory. I do hope that this amendment will be adopted.