Mr. INGERSOLL. Mr. Chairman, the com. mittee, as I understand, in reporting in favor of the appropriations for the ensacola nav yard have not recommended that they be may e solely for necessary repairs, but upon the idea of rebuilding that yard and putting it in as good condition as it was before the rebellion. if the only purpose of an appropriation was to place that yard in a suitable condition to repair our war vessels which may need repair in the Gulf of Mexico, I should not object to make such an appropriation; but the reposition is that there sha1l be a navyyard there like the navyyards at NewYork, Philadelphia, and Charlestown, and that we are to keep up there a navyyard not only for repairs, but for the con1 struction of ship s. Sir, before this can be accomplished millions of mono must be appropriated; and after all this is one, not one war vessel could ever be built there. Now, in an economical point of view, I do not think that my proposition is so absurd as the Gentfrom Pennsylvania imagines. Economy in all things, in the present financial condition of the country, is imperatively demanded. Mr. Chairman, [am looking to an econom ical administration of the Government. Econ omy must be exercised or the country will be ruined. Whether we shall be involved in awar with England or France I cannot say, but I as sert that we have a sufficient naval force today, not only to defend our own territory, but to whip the navies of the world. if they should assail us, without building another vessel. We do not need a navyyard at Pensacola. Especially is this the case as the building of wooden ships of war has been abandoned. Wooden war ships are now nearly vaheless, except for store ship s. There has been a revolution in naval are itecturej. iron and steel have taken the place of wood. The material now used in the construction of naval vessels comes from the North. It comes largely from the Gentlemans own State. It is in the northern States where iron is found in abundance; and there also are to be found the facilities in preparing it for use in the construction of naval vessels. It cannot be done at the navyyard at Pensacola, and should not if it could; and if you continue that navyyard you will have to ship from the North nearly all the materials which enterinto the construction of a man of war. Then why should we not have those ships constructed at the North, where the material is at hand? A 1stclass war vessel built at Pensacola would cost at least 20 5%. more than if built at NewYork. It seems to me that this Pensacola navyyard is to be maintained, if maintained at all, more for the benefit of individuals than for the benefitof the Government. I assert that this s quandering of millions of dollars for dilapidated and out of the way navy yards is more than shameful. It is, in my opinion, nothing but a robbery of the Treasury, and is imposing enormous burdens of taxation upon the already heavily taxed people, for which any gentleman of this House may expect to be held resonsible to his constituents. do not vote for appropriatiens for navy yards simply because they are or have been navyyards, and only vote for those which are essential to the maintenance of the Navy.