Mr. FESSENDEN. I do not know, sir, that I shall not be in favor of passing this bill as it stands; but it is unnecessary that I should say anything on that subject at the present time. My conviction is, and has been or some time, that no bill ought to be allowed to pass the Senate without having previously been examined and considered by a committee of the body. It is true that of late years, since the war commenced, we have been in the habit of doing things with some considerable rapidity, and on several occasions have passed bills without sending them to a committee. There may be occasions when it is admissible to do so, when time is pressing, and it is important to do the thing desired and it may be readily and easily understood. But, sir, I need not remind o Senate that on several occasions when we have passed bills with the idea that we understood them perfectly, we have found afterward that we have got ourselves into difficulty and had been so unfortunate as to act very unadvisedly and very injuriously. No particular instance now occurs to me; but the fact is impressed on my mind that there have been instances of that kind, and gentlemen will undoubtedly recollect them. Now, sir, if I saw a necessity for immediate action on this matter, a pressing necessity for prompt action, I should be willing to take up the bill for consideration at once. It is suggested aside that the matter is pressing because the President may do several things under the act of 1862 which the repeal of the law would prevent his doing. Suppose it to be }. so; the has ten days to consider, every bill that is submitted to him, and if this bill should be passed by the Senate, and he is disposed to act in the way suggested, he has ten days within which he might do whatever he might choose to do before the bill was either approved by him or disapproved and returned so that it could be acted on by Congress. Then I do not see any advantage that is to be gained by immediate action and by breaking over a rule which is a most valuable one, and which I shall hereafter on all occasions, except those which are very pressing, insist upon, that every bill which is brought in for our consideration should be 1st submitted to the scrutiny and examination of a committee. That is my view in regard to it, and with that view I shall vote against taking up the bill at the present time.