Mr. SPRAGUE. The ComMilAffrs have instructed me to report adversely upon the petition of the officers and men of the steamer Union who were wrecked and taken prisoners while en god in the expedition against Port Royal, offt e coast of NCarolina, in 1861. The petitioners were prisoners from 7 to 8 months. While prisoners their families received 1/2 the ay due them, and on their release the other hal was paid, covering the whole time of their imprisonment. The petitioners pray for commutation of rations while prisoners, and compensation for clothing. All the clothing they had on board except that on e heir ersous, was lost. No fixed sum is asked for. The petitioners were never enlisted into the service of the U.S., and do not come under the provisions of law for enlisted men. They were employee s of the quartermasters engaged at salaries and wages, and derpoavritsmioennea by agreement. The steamer was tcproperty of the U.S., and the petitioners may have been upon her in the service of her own ers, having the compensation the afterward received from the uartermasters Dept or they may have conemployed by agents of the Dept at given rates, or at rates prescribed) by regulations. The rations were prescribed by relations; butifaless amount was drawn than t as prescribed at anyone time, no greater amount than that prescribed by regulation could be drawn at any other time. The engagement of the petitioners with the Government ceased when the ship was destroyed. The quartermasters Dept having paid the petitioners during the period of their imprisonment, it is believed that it is some compensation for the loss of clothing. BILLS INTRODUCED. Mr. CONNESS asked, and by unanimous consent obtained, leave to introduce a bill (S.No.133) grantiii lands to aid in the construction of a railroad and telegraph line from the waters of the ha of SanFranciseo to Humboldt bay, in the State of California; which was read twice by its title, and referred to the comPubLands, and ordered to be printed. PUBLICATION OF THE LAWS.R. ANTHONY submitted the following resolution; which was considered by unanimous consent, and agreed to: Resolved, That the Committee on Pnlilic Printing be directed to inquire what climate“. la1n”y. nrqncqes any in the presentlaWs rnvidini for the publication of the laws of the U.S. I consider the bill, which provides that no ship or protect them from the depredations of priva REGISTERING OF VESSELS.R. CHANDLER. I move to take up House bill No. 204, to regulate the registering of vessels; which was reported yesterday from the ComCommerce. The motion was agreed to; and the Senate, as in ComWhole. proceeded to convessel which has been recorded or registered as an American vessel, pursuant to law, and which has been licensed or otherwise authorized to sail under a foreign flag, and to have the protection of any foreign Government during the existence of the rebellion, shall be deemed or registered as an American vessel, or shall have the rights and privileges of American vessels, except under the provisions of an act of congress authorizing such registry. Mr. SHERMAN. When that bill was called up yesterday. it struck me that the policy of excluding from the American marine all the vessels that temporarily took shelter under a foreign flag during the war, and when the Government of the U.S. was unable to teers, was a bad one. It certainly is the object of the Government of the U.S. to have as large a mercantile marine as possible; and I do not think we ought to blame the ship Owners who temporarily sought shelter under a foreign flag when their vessels were liable to be captured at any moment by privateers built in England, but sailin under the confederate flag. The object of is bill, if I understand it, is to punish the owners of these vessels by a forfeiture of all their rights, and to prevent them from again enrolling themselves under the American Ha and carrying on ordinary commerce under the protection of the American law. That is the purpose. It seems to me to be an unwise one. It is too severe a punishment for seeking temporarily the protection of a foreign flag. It will reduce the American marine I do not know how many tons; the Senfrom Michigan no doubt can tell us; but I am told a pretty large number. Perhaps he will inform the Senate the number of vessels which sought shelter under foreign flags during the recent war. It seems tome, however, as the war is now over, that there is no impropriety or no impolicy in allowing these vessels again to be what they were before. American vessels, with all the privileges granted by our laws to American vessels. The punishment that is now soughtto be inflicted upon the owners of these vessels is entirely too severe for the crime or offense that they have committed. Indeed, when anyone owning avessel sailing under our flag found that, on account of reasons beyond his control and beyond the control of the Government, his vessel was liable to capture and seizure by a pirate on the seas, I do not see anything very wrong in his tem orarily placing his ship under the protection o another flag tor the purpose of carrying on commercial operations. He did not renounce his allegiance; he simply placed his vessel in a more favorable situation to carry on commercial operations. There is no doubt that many of the owners of these vessels who thus sought to protect their property tempora rily under a foreign ting are among our most eminentand most skillfulcommercial men; men who have been patriotic, and who have poured out their wealth freely, and in many cases have sent their sons into the war; and I do not think that they ought to be very severely punished for what they have done in this respect during the war. It was not regarded as a very great offene at the time. 1 he discrimination against American vessels by insurance companies amounted to several%, and in some cases American vessels were absolutely driven ollof certain trade and these owners were compelled by events, over which they had no control, either to sell their vessels outright, or to seek tempo rarily the protection of another flag. T exclude all of these vessels now from the American marine would be simply to punish ourselves without accomplishing any great good. This is the view that I take of it. If the comCommerce have examined the question thoroughly and can give us any light upon Iit, should be ver glad to hear it. rea the debnte in the HoRep on this bill. It excited some attention there, and it seemed to me no reason was given sufficient to justify us in striking out of the list of American vessels all the vessels that temporarily sought shelter under a foreign flag during the recent war.