Mr. THAYER. Mr. Speaker, I have been here long enough to discern and understand with some degree of certainty the signs of the weather in this House. I think I perceive fair indications the House will with great pleasure forego any great addition to the debate on the question before us. occupy the attention of the House but for a short time. The delegation from Philadelphia has already occupied a very large, an unusually large, share of the time of the House on this bid; but it should be remembered that this question excites very considerable interest in the city of pliiIadelphia; an interestwhich has its foundation not in any sordid or unworthy motive, but simply in a desire to romote the general welfare. The people of Philadelphia believe, as regards the particular enterprise which is now the subject of consideration, the interests of Philadelphia are coincident with those of the nation. Philadelphia does not come here for the purpose of asking a special favor at the hands of the national Government. She is not here, sir, to beg for a measure which will conduce to her own aggrandizement. She has offered this valuable property to the Government under the conviction that its acceptance by the Government would promote the welfare of the General Government. It is true that some incidental benefits would result to the city of Philadelphia from the adoption of this measure. By the removal of the existing navy yard it would very largely add to the commercial dockage of the city. It would incidentally conduce to the benefit I shall therefore, sir, I of the city of Philadelphia by eventually bringiing into existence a large amount of property, which would contribute to the payment of her local burdens by the taxation 0 property which is now exein t from it. It would be a benefit to Philadelp ia by adding new sources of industry and thriftto those which already engo the labors and attention of the 700,000 souls that dwell within her happy confines. But those motives are not selfish. NOman can characterize those motives as unworthy. They are motives founded in the public welfare and benefit; and if the measure which is the subject of agitation is found to be, as it is alleged by those who are most conversant with the facts, one which will benefit the nation at of Philadelphia may den've an incidental benefitfrom the establishment of this great work within her borders. Sir, I disclaim on the part of the city of Phil adelphia any motives less worthy than those to which I have referred. She has never, either by her Representatives or in any other manner, advocated any national measure upon the footing of her own private special benefit. Her devotion to the national interest is traditional. It commenced with the 1st inspiration of national life, and it has continued with unabated vigor and with unsullied purity through all the chances and changes which have characterized the period that has intervened between that day and the present. No, sir. I spam the imputation of any selfish purpose on the part of the city of Philadelphia or her citizens in advocating the passage of this measure. What originally, I suppose, suggested the feasibility and the desirab eness of this measurewas the fact of the insufficient capacity of the existing navy yard at Philadelphia. The present navyard occupies an area of some 15 acres 0 ground, a space which for many years pasthas been found to be entircly inade quate for the purposes of the yard. The city has grown compactly down to the navy yard, whereas when it was originally established the yard was at a considerable distance from the city proper., The navy yard now, to a certain extent obstructs the growth of our city on its soutern line, for it cuts off the water front. Upon the southern line of the city of Philadelphia this property upon which the old navy yard is sit uated has in process, of time, by the approach of the city which now completely envelops it become of great value and it was suppose that it could he made 0 interest to the national Government to remove the existing yard from its present site to League Island. The obvious advantage of such a removal would be this: in the 1st place, the Government of the U.S. could sell the old navy yard property for a very large sum of money, proliab y for a sum ran in from amif lion and a half to 2 million ol are, of such 1 great value has that property become. It was proposed to apply the proceeds of that sale to the improvement of the new yard at Lea' 0 Island, and the city of Philadelphia, which would of course be proud to havca great 1st class navy yard fixed at that point, and which saw in the natural advantages of League Island those features which were most requisite for such apurpose, purchased League Island at an expense of some 300,000 dollars and offered it to the national Government as the site of a new navy'yard. Now, sir,I do ncit know whether the fact of the liberality of Philadelphia in this respect may not have lead to some degree of suspicion in regard to the measure which is before not Perhaps if League Island had been offered to the Government at a price instead of having been purchased b Philadelphia at an exease of $300,000 and reely and voluntarily o ered to the Government, this opposition might not have existed to this bill. Suspicion, perhaps, may have arisen out of the very fact of the liberality of Philadel hia. But, sir, the city 0 Philadelphia purchased League Island at a great expense, and they offered it and still offer it to the General government as the site of the new navy yard. The ‘1 proceeds of the old yard, a million and a half or 2 million dollars, Which will be derived ! from the sale of that property, will be sufficient to commence, at any rate, upon a sufficiently great scale, the improvement of the new site. i And when these advantages were combined with the natural advantages presented by the island itself, it was supposed b the City of Philadelphia that the interests of the nation in this respect were identical with those of Philadclphia; it was supposed that the offer would be accepted with alacrity on the part of the lange, I suppose that no man will deduce any i. General Government; thatthey would not turn argument against the expediency of the adopition of that measure from the fact that the city their backs upon a proposition obviously so advantageous to the General Government upon any so gestien of an incidental benefit to the cit of 'hiladelphia. ow, sir, the question, as was said ester day by the Gentfrom Ohio, [ll Mr. Lu Bi.oxn] who is a member of the ComNavAffrs, is principally whether you will transfer the existing navy yard at Philadelphia from its present site to the site at League Island. IFyou build a new navy yard elsewhere you must go on with annual ap ro wiations for the existing yard at Philadelp in. e have this year up reprinted $150,000 to that yard, and we shall have to continue to keep it u. Nobody suggests that we shall abandon hiladelphia as one of the naval stations of the U.S. Well, now, sir, if you establish a navy yard elsewhere there will be an additional burden upon the country, for you will have to appropriate for 2 navy yards instead of one; whereas, if you sim 1 transfer the existing navy yard at Philadelphia from its present location to League Island, you simpl keep up a naval station at Philadelphia; andywc, who hold the pnrse stringe of the nation, may deal out our appropriations for the new station as generously or as stintedly as we please in the uturc.