Mr. NY I have only 2 or 3 son tences to utterin regard to this bill, and I may as well commence where the Senfrom NewHampshire left 013. He says we ought to have evidence from the Dept in regard to the increased weight of this machinery. Sir, this question was examined before the Dept itself. The Senfrom NewHampshire seems to forget that it was the very Dept to which he refers that made this examination; and if there had existed in the Dept the power to gainsny the evidence that was given by these contractors, I believe it is a fair presumption that it would have been given. This board was no tribunal of ours. If there were any omissions on the part of this board. it was not the fault of this Senate or of the contractors. The Senfrom Iowa [Mr. Games], read here the other day the criticisms and strictures of Mr. lsherwood on these claims. I do not understand that in that communication there was any complaint or any sort of denial of the fact that this machinery was heavier than that of the Paul Jones. The Paul Jones Was familiar to this board undoubt edly, and they understood the fact to be precisely as these contractors testified. Their report was before the Dept and considered by it long before it came before the ComNavAffrs. The misfortune that the Senfrom NewHampshire seems to be laboring under is, that nobody has examined this case but him, and because he found a wron name in one place he turned round with quite a the atrical air of triumph, as much as to say, “I would impeach not only the intelligence but the integrity of the committee to which this subject was referred, " and with an air of triumph he attempted to render us some aid. The fact appearei that the committee jointly happened to be as wise as the Senator separate, and found out the same thing that he foun from examining the report. I congratulate the committee jointly that they were able to do what the Senator could do alonel My friendfrom NewHampshire has argued this case as a very critical lawyer, and it seemed to me that he fell into the error of supposing that he was defending some one in NewHampshire, or somewhere else, against a legal claim made to recover in these several cases. Sir, the committee that made this report placed the report upon no such foundation. They have report that these ships honestly cost these people, fr 111the evidence that satisfied the commission apointed by the Government itself, so many dollars and so many cents. The appeal is not in the character of a legal claim, but it is an appeal of hen est men that have labored honestly, that have not let their furnaces go unheated, whose ham mers have been heard night and day; and for what? To aid this Government in construct in a navy that is today its proudest boast. y friendfrom NewHampshire seems to hang upon this question of “ time” as though it was a ver important thing. “ It is so nom inated in e bond, ” says the Senfrom NewHampshire. He returns to the bond. He argues wel if this a Government turns Shylock; but he does not argue well when an appeal is made to the sense of justice of this Government. Time, sirl It is patent to everybody that time in regard to these Government contracts has not been observed by any contractor. The whole count was in a state of wild confusion. Timel Vhy, sir, the time was set for McClellan to go into Richmond, when he marched out with the roudest army that ever went from here; but e did not get there at all. The time was set for peace, by the distinguished SecyState, in 60 days after the troubles commenced; and yet the controversy lasted 4 long years. So far as that distinguished officer of the Government could fix the time, he fixed it; but instead of 60 we had more than 1400 days of bloody strife. The Senator says kept the Government out of the use of these vessels. What is the fact? The fact is, that the Government yards and every private facility for the construction of ships in this whole country were engaged. Besides, Congress passed a law providing that the laborers in the GOvernment navy yards should not be subjected to draft; but they passed no such law in regard to the private yards of this country. The fact is, that when these contractors at their shops full of men, the stron arm oft is Government would come along and sweep them out in a day by a draft; or, just as fatal to them, by bidding1,000 dollars bounty to every one who would enlist as a soldier, and a private workshopor a ship building yard would be cleared in a single ay. These facts are not proved; they are patent. There are somethings that everybody news; they are stamped, these contractors have indelibly upon the tablets of our memory; and among those things is the fact that the exigencies of the country required these men in these several vocations; and the universal testimon of this entire report is that the labor which they were able to procure was of an inferior character, and ha to be paid for at high prices, and was obtained with difficulty. Does the Government desire that proved? It is written on every page of history for the last 4 years. It is patent. Sir, this Government acted for more magnan imousl than its distinguished advocate from NewHampshire now does. They did not hang upon time. They were glad to get these ships whenever they came.T icy would have been glad to get them sooner, and they would have taken them later had they come. My friend, with a.great deal of assurance of manner at least, and l presume he felt so from the strength of his argument, asks us, would an individual do it? I answer yes, if the individuals neces sities were as great as the necessities of this country, and he would have been glad to doit. An individual who will stand upon the bond when a man has given him a so erior article, a“nd heavier than be contracted) for, and say I will take it, because it is so nominated in the bond, " is not an honest man; and, sir, you would not trust him, nor would the Senator. from NewHampshire trust. him; and he could not get trusted in a country store in the State of NewHampshire. I was utterly surprised at the ertinacity with which the Senfrom NewHampshire adhered to this question of time. Sir, the truth is this Government “took no note of time save by its loss” during this struggle. It was all time and no time with them. Tfor 4 years there has been no note of time save in preparation for bloody strife. I repeat again, I was utterly snr rised to hear the distinguished Senfrom NewHampshire. who is generally so generous, and takes such enlarged views of things, nail his objection to this measure on the question of time. Why did he do it? To show that this excess of cost arose from the delay of these contractors. Is there a particle of evidence of that sort in this case? Is not the contrary apparent throughout. that they strained every nerve to complete these vessels in time? They had 2 controlling motives to do it: 1st, in order to help to rese ue the government they loved from its eril; and next, because every day told them priceswere increasing enormously; and yet my friend says they must suffer the entire loss occasioned by this delay. Now, Mr. President, I desire to make 2 or, 3 statements that are matters of history, and my friend will find them to be so if he goes to the Dept. I have but one single acquaintance in this whole lot of contractors, but I have taken occasion to look a little into the record.