The Secretary read the followingreport, made by Mr. CLARK on the 16th instant: The ComcClaims. to whom were referred tFhoewpleert, ition andpapersrelativeto the claimofJanes, Kirtland. & 00. asking compensationfor damagesresulting from the suspensionby the goveMranym, e1n8t6o1f, the workon thodomoof the capitol, from to Ma, 1862, have had the same under consideration.no makethe followmilre ort: the petitioners set forth that on t a 5thday of February. 1860t.hey enteredinto a contractwith the U.S.through William B. Franklin. captain of topographicalengineers.in chargeof Capitol extension. for the construction of all that part of the new domeabovethe 1st section, at 7 centsper pound: paymentstobemademonthly.after the commencementof the work, asfollows: 4 andonehalf centsper pound on the delivery and acceptance of material on the round and the remaining 2 and a half centson the erection and acceptance of such material. 15%.to bereserveduntil the whole Work should becompletedand accepted. The contractiscontuinetlin thci'orri spondcnccpublished in SenateDocuments 36th Congress jrstsession, MiscellaneousDocument No. 2), ages39to 52 inclusive, to which they respectfully re ertor further information. The mcmorinlistsproceededWilhfldl possibledis patch and diligence in the execution of their contract and by the 17thof May, 1861h, ad placed in the sfrueture 2.400.53p5ounds of iron and had on the ground 567, 109poundsready for erection leaving to c manufacturedless than 1/3rd in weight of material. At that date, towit, 17thof May. 1861t, heSecyWar, against the earnest remonstranccsof the memorialists, ordered that the work be suspended, r if carried on, it bedone at the risk and expense of the contractor, to be aid for only when the condition of the Treasury shall justify the Government in applying its resourcesto works of art, notof absolute necessity." In the settlement which followed this order there was withheld from the memorialistsfiftecn%. on the work already done and other amounts, making a total of over 840.000.By reason of this order of suspension and the withholdinu of so large an amount of money already earned, they were compelled to sto i. both the purchase and manufacture of material, ( ismisslarge numbersof skilled laborers and let their workshopsand machinery(which had beengreatlyenlargedto enable themto execute this contractWithdispatchplic idle. The firm there by becamecinbarrnssedand lost about 30,000 dollars of the ir capital in the your 1861. Bathe act of 19thof April. 1802, the construction of the domo was directedto be resumedunder the supervision of the SecyInterior; and in May, 1862t, hememorialistswere 0 nestedto resume work. The price of material and la or beenadvanced considerably and was steadily rismg, and t was cVident that they could not completethe work at the contract price without ponsidern loloss. They knew the contract was forfeitedby the wrongful act of the government, and that they were under no obligation, legal o rmoral, to proceedwith it. But the Covernmentshll held $30010of moneydue ba fore the suspension which they feared would never be paid ift ey refused to go on. They knew, too, that no other contractors could completethe unfin isheddomeaspromptly. perfectly and economically as they. ahoyaall other motives influencing them was a pride in completing the splepdid work they had begun. They therefore determinedto resumework under this broken contract or without a contract as the transaction mightbeviewed.trusting to Congress to makegood whatever might be lost by reason of the year's suspension. But theyfound the task greatly moredificult and expensivethan before by reason of the scarcity of skilled labor and rspi advanceof materials; while they could readil, with the forceon hand when the work wassuspon ed in 1861h, have completed all the castings and delivered them on the ground Within tshcaatttyecraerd., Their skilledworkinen oncedismissedand itwas iinpossihlo with the most energetic effortto geta full forceof such workmen to castand manufacturematerial sothat in 1862they were able to manufacture and ship to Washingtononly 653.15 pounds, whichwas less than half of the work which remainedto be done at the dateof the spspenswn. In 1863. The difficulties of procuring such skilled labor had greatly increased, so that they wcgoonly ableto pmoaunnudfsa ctlueraevainndg ship 556.74p3ounds; in 18641.90.649 51.237poundsnecessaryto complete ifiework, which were manufactured and shipped in 1. This protractionthrough 3 years of work which could have beencoin leted in onc had the contract been unsusponded, a ded greatly to its cost, partly becauseit occupied the time and attention of the firm withdrawn by it from a profitable customhusmcu but chiefly becauseof the rapid increase in costof material. freight, and labor. to April, 1862, coal averagedabout 1862after April 8 In 1861.to pn, 862.wrong t iron averaaed50no 1862.after April. 65 (I) 90(I) 1864 160(I) 1865. 180(I) In 1861, to 186. ght from NewYork to Washington by schoonerwas..82 (I) 1862.after April.. 3 50 1863, 1864a, nd. 4 (I) In 1861.toApril, 1362t, he wagesof moldcis. smiths, pattern makers. filters, &c., averaged or day, about.... 1862, after April. 2m 1863.. 2 87 1864. 3 50 1863. 862 All other material, labor, and SNVIOO increased eachyour in aboutthe same averageratio with the inTerheoausgeh of materials and labor as abovetriveu. morethan a 3rd of the castingwas done in 1862. when labor and material were greatly lower than in the years followink. yct 5/6ths of the work of erection was doneafter that year. The most of the castingdonein 1862was comparativelyplain work, while nearly all the costly ornamental casting wasdone in subsequent years when labor was at or near its maximumrates, so thatat least 3/4ths of the expenditures after the PllSDEDr‘lflwllcic necessarily made by atflants whenprices, throughthe in flation of the currency and thescarcityof labor. were ator nboutthe maximum rates above given. A diuiits are unable to statein detail and with precision the increased costvof the various kinds and amounts of material and labor beyond what such cost would have been had the Work not been suspended. But they are confidentthe following is not an exaggerated statement of such increased cost: 1.353.70lb4s. pur iron. (1240lbs.pig iron produced but 2.0!plbs.eastin s.) (9'i cent 3 86.9635;! 210.00l0bs.wrong it iron, @5cents "c1 lb. 10.00000 475 tons coal. including freight from Elim be thtown to foundery. for meltingpower. km, 9 $450 ton. s op expenses on 1.398.70lb4s. painting. Freight and cartago 0 Pattern makers’ time. Carvers'wages 300 days. 82 'ii day. 1113.0foeoetlumber.@ 815fithonsaud" It!) kegsnails, @ '6 keg. superintendence tools oil. machinery, belting Incidental expenses. Total increased costto contractors. 895.13658 The memorialists further representthat. inasmuch as the suspension occurred through no faultof theirs and against their remonstranccs. They are legally and equitably entitled to pay for all done after the sus melon. at the Mir value of the work. Messrs. rgoR. Jackson and J. 1!.Cornell, who are as competent and.reliable exports on the questionas any gentlemen iu the country. have giventheir estimates in the afidavits above referred to Mr. Juekspn says 15 cents a pound would be less‘than a fair price for the work doneafter the suspension and Mr. Cornell says that 20 centswould beno morethan a fair price. The memorialists therefore ask that con:ressdnayfthem.in addition to the 7 cents perpouu which they have already received.eight cents perpoundon the 1.941. 88 pounds manufactured and erectedafter the work wn.s resumed 5118.57120. The momorialists originally took the contract at a price which they were wcll awnre left no room for wit. But for the‘ suspension they could, however. re executed it Without considerable loss. In now skin: the amount named above.theyseeknot more than the law would probably give them asdamages, nor more than Will repair their lossesactually in curred by the breach of the contract. They claim no rodt from their labor. morethan the honor of hay ng their names pssociated with a work which in desirn and execution has no equal in the ornamental arTchheitecture of the world. Committee find the forsgom: statements of the memorialists substantially true. That they did contract for the work on the dome of the Capitol. as they have stated. 'l.‘h oaylsofind that the work on the dome wus arbitrarily interrupted by the SecyWar and that they were put to much damage apilloss and incurred great oxponse in abfrtoeurgwhat rditeatorryitinsgpfroersweanrtdbtchaeuwtyork and tillpethrfeeycftiine anlly structures eozrcely if anywhero equaledin the world. In domg this the memorialists y the action of the Government wereput at too muchincreasedexpense as beforestated: materials and labor each cost.more wheu the work was resumedthan they did when it was interrupted. This fact is madeknown to the committoc not alone by proofsin this case.but by their general knowledge ot prices. The committee. however. have not ado ted the basis of dama‘es as stated by the memorialists but have endeavoredto makea more exactealculation of the work putup each year, and the price which should be aid for it. The wor was interruptedin May. 186la.ndrecom menoedin May.1&52. In the year 1&31t2he memorialistsput in place 68.19,) poundsoi iron: on this they should be paid 3 cents perpoundadditional. making 819.59085. In 186‘!theyput.up 586, 743pounds and for this they should have 4 cents por pouud additional.making miss 1 In With” put up 190.64opoundsof iron and on this they should beffid 7 centsper poundadditional. making 915. m. In 1%5they put up 51.237 pounds of iron and for this they should he paid 8 cents per poundiiilditionril. in;: king $1.(1l296;aniouiitinginall to thesum of 860.51466. In accordancewith the above the committee report the 2nd reading of the bill and recommend its passage.