Mr. MARSTON. Ientirel a e with the Gentfrom Illinois [Mr. As aware] that in the present state of the finances of the countryits utmost attention should be given to every item of appropriation, and that not one dollar should be appropriated from the Treasury of the U.S. that is not absolutely demanded by the wants of the public service. That will he the principle that will guide my conduct in all these appropriations, whether the money is to be ex)euded in NewHampshire or elsewhere. It has been for a long time an object with the Navy Dept to acquire Seaveys Island for the convenience an the enlargement of the navyyard at that station. Now, as a pure matter of economy, if there was no other consideration in it whatever but just the saving of dollars to the U.S. Government, solemnly aver that I believe if this island had belonged to the Government at the commencement of the war, we should have saved double what is pioposed to be appropriated to the purchase of it, in the labor that has been expended there in moving mate rials from one part of the island to the other for the purpose of carrying on the business of the yard). So crowded has been every foot of ground upon it that not a ship could be started, nor any new business commenced there, without moving timber iind material of all sorts from one part of the island to the other. A vast number of men and teams have been constantly employed in doing that from the commeiicenient of the war to this day. The portion now occu ied on the rear is about 65 acres; that which it is proposed to acquire will contain from 70 to 80 acres. It is separated from the navyyard by 200 feet of water, and is connected by a bridge built by the U.S. Now there is no place in this navyyard suit able for a hospital, for otheers quarters, or for a magazine and there is today, in the mag azine on that little island, I believe, some 200 tons of gunpowder. There is not a man in the yard that is not afraid of his life from that magazine and ifby accident there should be an explosion in that magazine. not a single ship or building or anything in or about that yard would remain standing. Now, it is afact that there is no naval station in this country to which it is so proper for ships coming from southern elimes to go and report to the navyyard on account of health as this. They are sent there uniformly, and when they get there there is no properhospital, and no place to build one. There is no place fora coal de ot on the island on which the navyyard is built. There is not sufficient room for ships. There is not sufficient room to carry on the work that has been necessary to do there dur in this war. The Gentfrom Iowa [ML Kassox] refers tot e matter ofofficers quarters as a simple convenience. Now, everybody who knows mi thing about, navyyards knows that it is high y important, not only for the good discipline of the yard, but for the safet oft cpioperty there, that the Officers should have their quarters in the yard, and not a mile or 2 08 in some town where they cannot be called upon in case ofan emergency. Now, sir, on every consideration on which this mattercan be looked at, as a matter of convenience to the Navy, as a matter of saving money to the Government and the facilities of doing businessthere, tehnisla1r. g5ianng ought to be purchased. 1866. 327. A few years ago a commission was authorized by Congress and appointed by the president to visit all the navyyards in the country and report the kind of work done at each, where it was done cheapest, where ships were built best, and everything pertaining to the question of navyyards, an beyond all question t, eygave the preference in the buildingof ship s to the Portsmouth navyyard. Why? In the 1st place, they are built cheaperthere than anyw ere else. They found that there was a better class of mechanics employed there than anywhere else, because they were not taken from large cities, but were substantial citizens residing in the surrounding country, and were of that class of men who did more work and did it better than the mechanics in any other navyard in the country. They found also that the ships built there lasted longer, partly because they were better built, but more particularly because the timber docked there lasted longer than that docked elsewhere.