Mr. FESSENDEN. A few numbers might; but the fact is that there are certain other papers to be included with the testimony that are not ready; for instance, there is an INDEX to be preared. There is no difficulty about that; an the complaint of the honorable Senator, I think, is not well founded in regard to there not having been ample opportunity for every senator to inform himself, if he was so disposed, of the testimony. I agree with him, however, in one thing and that is, that we have gained by delay. lhe Senate will remember that at one time we were pushed very hard in all the newspapers in the country to have immediate action on the subject. It was necessary, however, to take testimony, and the progress of taking that testimony and its publication have had the most beneficial effect in informing the mind of the country and satisfying everybody, I think, that the matter has been better under stood in consequence of the course that was adopted by the committee from necessity, because the committee was unable to come to a conclusion for the want of testimony in the 1st place. Now, sir, as to taking more testimony, some time or other, some point must be fixed at which it should be closed; and that was fixed by the committee, and its determination has been acted upon. If we adopted the advice of the Senfrom Massachusetts, to wait until we got every particle that by any possi bility might throw light on the subject, we should wait until the next century, perhaps; there is no knowing how often witnesses might turn up, or what they might desire to say. The committee were satisfied that it had gone far enough, affording the most ample opportunity to everybody that desired to testify or desired to produce testimony. There has been no exclusion of anything that has been offered that looked as if it had a bearing on the subject. We are late in the session. The HoRep passed this resolution 2 weeks ago, or perhaps more. delayed lhere longer than it would have been, owing to circumstances to which it is not worth while now to allude. I thought it well, as chairman of the committee, that the resolution, after having been passed by the HoRep, should lie upon our table for awhile in order to give gent cmen ampleopportunity to consider it, and then that a ay should be fixed sufficientl far 05 to enable every one to know that the question was to come up. That time has come, and has passed by a couple of days; and late as we are in the session, with so much to do, so much upon our bands which is obstructed in a measure by this question, it is my deliberate judgment, and it was the deliberate judgment of all the members of the committee on the part of the senate, that it should have been taken up last Monday. I agree that public opinion is very apt to be changeable on such subjects; and as public opinion is apt to be changeable, I think we may as well follow our own judgments. It has appeared to do well hitherto, and I am inclined to think that we who have the management of the business know just as well as anybody else when it is advisable to take it up and what it is advisable to do. I can relate one aneedote which shows precisely how this matter is under stood. A leading paperin the West, a very important paper, Within a short time after the appointment of the committee of 15 I think within some 2 or 3 weeks afterward, but it may have been a month or 2 came out with an article headed, “A Policy Wanted, ” and it blamed Congress exceedingly for not proceeding to act and define a policy on this subject. The argument was that the President had defined his policy, and that every thing wasgoing wrong because Congress had no polic; that it must at once bring in resolutions hxin what it intended to do and have it settled. thought it was rather unkind to the committee that a leading newspapershould comment in the style it did upon the proceedings of Congress without knowing what the difficulties were, or really what the questions were, and how much embarrassment there was in arriving at a conclusion. But, sir, it went along until about a month ago or less, when the s“ame papercome out with an article saying, Dont be in too much of a hurry about this business; take time; there is no trouble about it; the country is gaining by delay; have the thing well understood and well matured before you act; dont be in a hurry." This was in the same paper; whether it was written by the same hand or not I do not know. Where there It has been are so many ditierent opinions, and in the same press, too, very often, I come to the conclusion which I expressed before, that we may just about as well exercise our own judgment and do the best we can and leave the results to the future. Now, sir, as I hope Congress may adjourn some time from the lst to the middle of July, as I think it ought to do, and may if it attends to its business properly, and if nothing occurs to render a longer session necessary, think we have arrived now the last week in May at a time when we ought to have this question out of the way. We may not agree with the other House in some points. In that case the resolution will have to go back to the House. The discussion upon it will take some time. While it remains undisposed of it stands in the way of other business. I should dislike very much to see aquestion of this importance crowded into the heel of the session. When it is a matter upon which we have resolved to act and settle before Congress ndjourns, if we can settle it, we had better not leave it to the hurry of hot weather and a time when we may all be more impatient than we ought to be in considering a question of so much importance. I hope, therefore, that it will be proceeded with this morning.