Mr. WADE. Mr. President. I was in hopes that we should have determined this nestion without debate and without any great deliberation, because in my judgment the more you undertake to deliberate on a question of this kind, the more you detract from the merits of your action. If there is any gentleman here whose heart does not prompt him at once to vote for such a bill as this, of course let him vote against it; but let us not put it over, let us not tall: over it, let us not drag in the constitution. such things have been frequently done. When a great, overwhelming calamity has fallen upon the people in any particular place in the U.S., on several occasions, to m certain knowledge, since I have been here, congress, being in session and having the means, has stepped in and alleviated in some measure the effects of the calamity where it could be done, and the nation never felt that it had performed such most graceful acts. In this case when I know the extent of the great calamity that has fallen on these peop e, such as scarcely ever fell on a community, before, perhaps the greatest by fire that has ever fallen upon any portion of this country, I feel prompted at once to vote for some measure of relief. All their means of support have been swept without notice from under them in a moment, and they are now at the charity of the world, many of them who were before in independent circumstances. In this DistCol when there was extraordinary weather, and great distress fell upon poor people on account of it, Congress has on severa occasions to m knowledge stepped in and alleviated their distress, and I never heard that the Government was any worse off for having done it. I never yet heard of a man being injured by an act of generosity like this. These acts are such as commend a government to the people and show that the Gov? emment s m athizes with the welfare of the people an so with their calamities. While they cost you nothing they elevate the Government in the estimation of the people. I am for doing this act and doing it at once. I did not intend to say a word about it, and I did notsupposewhen the bill was called up thah t wou d be deliberated upon for a sin is moment. I supposed that the act would e done romptly. I am ready to do it. I do not fear that it Will set an example or precedent that will be dangerous to the well being of this Government. I wish such precedents could be set oftener than they are they would endear the Government of the U.S. to the hearts of the people. Let relief be extended when these great, overwhelming calamities occur. Where they are not so great but that the benevolence of the surrouu in communities can relieye the sufferers, there a Government does not step in; but upon a great occasion like this there is no civilized Government that would withhold its aid, and I hope of all others ours will not. I trust the bill will pass.