Mr. PATTERSON. I had no intention of adding a word to the many good reasons that have been given for this appropriation, and yet. as it was my privilege, during the last summer, to visit this navyyard for the express purpose of seeing the wants of the yard, I ought, perhaps, to say a word in relation to it. Iwent through the yard in company with the officers in charge of it, and so great was the obstruction there by reason of lumber, ship materials, and stores of various kinds, that we were obliged to wind our way as through the streets of a great city. I was told by the Officers in charge t namethat they were obliged to move the lumber and materials necessary for the repair of vessels 3 or 4 times over before they could be used, boI cause they had not sufficient room in the ard and the amount of expense which the yar was thus put to, for want of room, would in a few years equal the whole amount asked for to purchase Seaveys Island. It is also known that there is a somewhat extended waterfront to this navy, ard; but there is but a small space where vesse s can a preach the wharf for provisions and coal; so t at, in supplyingvesselswith coal it is sometimes necessary to remove the coa 2 or 3 times. If this island were purchased the Government would have a depot for its con. Then, again, the drydock at that navyyaid is nearly worn out, and its capacit is not sufficient for the larger class of vesse s new in use; so that in a very brief period, in the course of a few years, it would be necessary either to excavate another dock, or to build a bulkhead at the front of the small outlet or stream between Scaveys Island and the present navyyard. By buildin this bulkhead, and umping out the water, t ie Government would have a drydock without the expense of a new excavation. The expense of excavating a drydock would proba bly be greater than the whole amount now proposed to be expended by this appropriation. Besides, sir, if the yellow fever or any other contagious disease should break out in the navy yard at Portsmouth, the whole yard would have to be laid under quarantine and all operations stopped there even though it were in time of war. But ifte Govenment should purchase this island, it could build upon it a hospital to which, if ellow fever or any other contagious disease should break out, those afflicted could be removed, while the operations of the yard could go on as before. It seems to me, sir, that these reasons are ample and unanswerable in favor of this appropriation. Let memention another consideration. A few days ago, I visited the SecyNavy, by request of a large number of workmen in that yard, who ask that their ay may be increased. The Secretary told met at if the wages were increased, the amount of work in that yard must be decreased, and that the reason why so much work was thrown into the Portsmouth navyyard was that the work could be done more cheaply there than in any other yard in the country. This constitutes another reason why this yard should be extended, so that the work of the Navy Dept maybe done where that work can be done best and most cheaply and every one who has read the history of the Kearsarge knows that at that yard the work is well done.