Mr. SPRAGUE. There was no law for sending 40 or 50,000 troops to Wash in ton after the firing upon Fort. Sumter; but sti1those' troops have liecn paid by the F ed eral Government. This is a parallel case. Danger threatened the goast; the Government of the U.S. warned the Governors of the States that were nearest to the danger, and expenditures were made for ammunition and for ordnance. 3/4ths of this claim is for ammunition and ordnance now in the possession of Massachusetts which it is desirable that the Government of the U.S. should take and pay for in accordance with the terms of the original purchase. The expenditures forthis ordnance and this ammu nition were made at the desire of the General Government. By'letters communicated to the different States and people throughout the country, the officials ineach State were constantly warned of threatened danger from foreign invasion and urged to take measures' against them. Sir, this was simply at that time a loan of the money of Massachusetts to the General Government when the money which was wanted could not be obtained or was not in the hands of the General Government. as everybody knows, to pay these claims. Massachusetts at that time could more readily obtain the funds necessary for this expenditure than the General government, and hence the money was raised by Massachusetts and the expenditures made by her. At every point where ox enses were entered into for coast defense, the spot was designated by the General Government and by its officers. Most if not all of these expenditures were made upon works already existing in order to put them in a proper state of defense. They were in a dilapidated condition; there had been little or no money expended by the General Government upon those forts for many years, and a slight force could raid upon them and take them. It had been secn by the Government how easy it was to obstruct the ports at the South by the sinking of old bulls and in other ways, and the Navy Dept requested, solicited the authorities of Massacbnsetts to set at work its engineers and its men capable of bringing about that state of things to suggest good plans for harbor defense. That was accomlished, and those plans are now in the hands 0 Massachusetts ready to be turned over to the Government, and will be as available hereafter if the necessity arises as would have been expenditures made by this Government directly for that purpose. Telegraphs were established between the different forts in the harbors of Massachusetts, and they were used by the Government of the U.S. from the beginning of their establishment until there was no further news sit; for the use of these wires. y paying' this claim the Government of the U.S. will get nearly or quite the whole amount of its expenditure back again in the shape of superior guns and ammunition. Everybody, can conceive the cmbnrrassments that a State is under in the possession of ord nance and ammunition at this time. It cannot dispose of them to advantage so as fully to reimburse itselffor the expenditureithas made. I think this is a clear case of an absolute loan by Massachusetts to the Government at a time when the Government could not obtain funds for itself.