Mr. SUMNER. Mr. President, as I have had the bonor of moving a proposition which is a substitute for the bill now before the senate, I hope you will pardon me if I go into a very brief explanation. if I have followed the Senfrom Indiana, he is disposed to limit the character of the proposition before us. He Presents it to us simply as a question between the existing navy yard at Philadelphia and a new navy yard for Philadelphia. If it could be presented in that limited way I should be very ittle disposed to enter into the controversy; but it strikes me that the statement of the senator is not complete. The proposition before us involves something more. It is not merely supplying a new navy yard to Philadelphia; that in itself would be of importance; but this proposition still goes further., While supplying a new navy yard to Philadelphia it under takes to supply a navy yard on a large scale, which is to meet the great change ini. naval system of our country growing out of the introduction of iron clads; and you have the single practical question Presented to you whether at this moment League Island is the best place for a navy yard of iron clads. There is the question. The Senfrom Indiana must not divert attention from that question. The Senate, when it votes, must vote on that question. it must say yea or may on the question whether League Island is best for these new and extraordinary purposes. I am not at this moment disposed to go into the consideration of the merits of League Island. Many pamphlets have been written upon them, many speeches have been made upon them. I will not now add to the number. Suffice it to say, that on the evidence there is certainly grave doubt whether League Island does in a practical way supply all that is needed for the desired purposes. Icertainly doubt it. Then, on the other hand, there is a proposition for a navy yard at NewLondon. With regard to that there are also pamphlets and speeches. I have seen that site myself, and I must say, if I may so exPress myself, it is even captivating. I can hardly imagine a site which is better adapted to the purposes in view. The water is ample; the supply of fresh water behind is peculiar; and all these, too, are under the guard ianship, if I may say so, of fortresses, so that I believe it would be in reasonable security against any foreign approach. You cannot put aside NewLondon on the existing evidence, it seems to me. Certainly you cannot put it aside and take League Island; but that is what the bill before you asks you to do. Under these circumstances I have felt it my duty to bring forward what I will call an intermediate proposition. It is neither for League Island nor for NewLondon, but it is for the creation of a commission of engineers as emi nent as any in the country, having the undoubted confidence of the country, who shall make an inquiry with regard to a proper site for a navy yard for the purposes in view. The commissioners that I have proposed, and whose names are set forth in the substitute, are admiral Farragut, Lieutenant GenlSherman and Mr. Hilgard. Of Admiral Farragut I need say nothing; of GenlSherman I need say nothing, except that he is placed in this commission on account of his eminence as an engineer. Mr. Hilgard is also placed here on account of his familiarity with our coast and his eminent scientific attainments. You all know that he is now the practical hoad of the Coast Survey. I doubt whether 3 gentlemen in the whole country could be selected who if they should unite in a report on this subject would inspire more confidence. I propose that this commission shall select a suitable site on or adjacent to the Atlantic ocean for a naval station for the storage and repair of iron vessels and iron clad vessels of the Navy and for other naval purposes. But I do not stop there. I do not content myself with providing a commission that shall do what I submit at this moment the Senate and the Congress are not competent to do, to deter mine between these 2 places or to select some other place which is neither one nor the other; I do not stop with the creation of an effective commission; I go further, and provide that the SecyNavy shall act at once on the report of that commission. Here are the words: And the SecyNavy is hereby authorized and empowered to accept such selectedsite on behalf of the U.S.: Provided, The same shall be conveyed to the U.S. as a free gift. for their exclusive useand benefit, by a valid and in defensible title. And the SecyNavy is hereby further authorized to occupy take possession of and said sitefor the purposes herein indicated, and in the preparation thereof to use such amount of money as may be necessaryout of any unexpended appropriations for theNavy. Observe the language. Under this amendment the SecyNavy will be authorized to go forward at once on the report of this commission and prepare his navy yard. Therefore, if any Senator should be disposed to say that my proposition is in its nature dilatory, I reply at once that he is mistaken; it is dilatory only so far as it does interose the agency and judgment of a commission. hat is all. It is not introduced, either with a view to delay, but it is introduced with a sincere desire to find some means of reconciling this controversy, which has so long agitated both Houses of Congress. It is time that it should be brought to a close, and I see no better way of bringing it to a close than by subjecting it to the impartial umpirage of so distinguished a tribunal as that which is described in this amendment. Let those commissioners proceed with the inquiry, and we shall all be ready to accept their conclusion, If they sanction the receiving of League Island, then for one I shall consent. If on the other hand they prefer NewLondon, or some 3rd place, then again I shall consent. I shall feel that my own judgment will be essentially aided by theirs shall gladly, on this question, subordinate my judgment to theirs. I ask you, then, what is the practical objection to this proposition? Is it not calculated to harmonize these 2 different sides? Does it not afford an easy and quiet way of bringing this controversy to a close? I have said that for one I should accept the report of any such commission. I believe the Senate would accept it; still more the country would accept it. The people who are interested in League Island, I believe, would not set themselves u against such a report; and, on the other hand, those who are interested in any other place would be equally contented. This is all that I have to say on the case at present. Should the debate continue I may [. disposed to consider more at length the comparative merits of the different places, though for one I am very anxious to avoid these details. I do not believe that the senate is competent to consider these details to advantage. I ask for the yeas&nays on the amendment. The yeas&nays were ordered.