Mr. FESSENDEN. I have no doubt many Senators have places in their eye, and are very learned on this subject. I do not profess to know anything about it. It is not a matter upon whichI have an opinion with referenceto what should be the place. I only say that at present there is a large public work going on at Portland, which is to go on whether this basin shall be made there or not a work undertaken by a private company. The engi neer of that work, a man of great experience and skill, known, I believe, to the honorable Senators from Michigan, has given the opinion that at a very small expense this thing can be accomplished there. Whether it can or not, I do not profess to know. As I stated before, I have made every effort to get some information on the subject, to let somebody look at it who was capable of judging, and who was an officer of the Government just to that extent, no more and make a report. I have utterly failed, because the SecyNavy will not look at any place except Leaffue rIsland. That is the fact about it. He will not even permit the Dept or himself or anybody else to have any information on the subject. This work is oing on there day after da, and the facts can be ascertained. I do not now even if this basin could be made at Portland and made at a slight expense, that it would be the proper place; I do not pretend to say that it would be I merely want an examination made and the evidence with regard to it placed before the Dept and before Congress that we may have the use of it. With that view, as it is very late in the session, and I want the report to come in at this session, I ask simply or the appointment of this commission. My friendfrom Connecti cut, who has had NewLondon examined and treated of, wishes to put NewLondon on here. Anybody can see what the result must be. It will probably take a week to make a thorough examination of this place, and then the report is to be made; but if they are to go from that to NewLondon, it will take just double the time, and if then to some other place the time is just so much increased. We are now getting toward the close of the session, and we can et the testimony with regard to Portland at this session. I do not wish the resolution to be embarrassed by these other places which Gentlemen have had ample opportunity to investigate for themselves, and to offer their own resolutions and accomplish their own purposes but they have not chosen to do that, and instea, of taking that course they wait until a proposition is made with regard to one place and then try to load it down with theirs. I do not like that kind of co. I do not think it is exactly theought to treat each other. Now, as of the suggestion which the honorable Senfrom Indiana makes, that.will defeat the resolution altogether; and I suppose that is what he is driving at. It just makcsa general roving commission to go all over the country and examine all the territoryof the U.S and see where a place can be found. The resultis perfectly manifest. The proposition is very plausible and very smooth, like everything else that my honorable friendfrom Indiana does; but if you look through it, you see what the result is. We shall get no information, probabl for years, on the subject.