Mr. CONNESS. I wish briefly to call the attention of the Senate and the country to the purport of this resolution. As will be under stood by its reading, it calls for information already acquired and in the possession of the Government touchin the most practicable means of commercial intercommunication between the 2 oceans over the Isthmuses of Darien, Panama, and Tchnantcpec., The only means for the transmission of merchandise, freight, and passen rs that now exists, if we except what is caled the American Transit. Company, otherwise the Nicaragua route, is the Panama railroad. The Panama railroad has now been in operation for many years. It. yields the largest revenue probably to its stock holders of any corporation in the world. I am informed from reliable sources that the entire trade, including passengers and freight, between the Atlantic States and the American possessions on the Pacific coast makes up only about one 10th part of its business. When I state that our steamship s now running 3 times a month from NewYork to As inwall, and from Panama to SanFrancise o, each carry from 8 to 1500 tons of freight, it will give some idea of the immense commerce that passes over the Panama railroad. When I state in addition that 25 dollars is exacted by the company from every human being who passes over that road, which is but 47 miles in length, and the transit occupies a period of from 2 to 3 hours at a slow rate of s eed, I give some idea of the exactions that. at corporation make of the commerce of our country and of all civilized nations. It is at. present the only practicable route, and the one generally traveled and used, as I before,olk served, between the Atlantic and Pacific beeans by Americans. Many efforts have been made by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, who are disposed to act in a spirit of extreme liberality toward the commerce of the people of the Pacific States, to obtain a reduction of these immense charges and exactions on the part of the Panama railroad, and thus facilitate the population of our Pacific possessions; but thus far every effort has been in vain. The stockholders of that corporation think only of their immense returns and dividends. The gentleman who is president of that company, with whom I have not the honor or pleasure of a personal acquaintance, I am told is an intelligent, liberal and elevated man, and ifleft to himself would not so conduct the affairs of that corporation; but he, too, is overborne in the management and the Panama railroad the construction an erection of which was hailed by the whole country as one of the great works of the age, stands to da as a toll gate between the great Atlantic an Pacific oceans upon Americans and upon American commerce of the most extreme exactions and extortions that were everallowed by civilized nations to be erected. It is in modern times asking more than the tolls demanded and exacted and collected so long in northern Europe, and which we were comelled only recently, under the advice of the ionorable chairman of the ComForRelns, to capitalize; I mean the Sound dues and others of that character. That this Republic will allow this company to exist and thus pursue its exactions after it is brought to the direct attention of the lawmaking power, seems almost ineredible. The resolution that I have had the honor to present is simply asking from the SecyNavy, through the Superintendent of the Observatory, for the data in his possession touching the other practicable means of crossing over the Isthmus that I have named and that are named in the resolution. I make this explanation of the resolution so that it may claim the attention of the country and the at tention of the Senate; and I hope the resolution will pass. The resolution was adopted. Senfrom NEWJERSEY.