Mr. JOHNson. The 8th of nue, the same day on which the majority report was presented and not read, for the very satisfactory reason given by my friendfrom Maine. I was guite unwell at the time the repoft was presente; but as soon as I could prepare the minority report I did prepare it. I did not know and had not the slightest reason to suspect there would be any objection until some 8 or 10 days afterward, I think, when my honorable friendfrom Maine said to me that according to the custom of the Senate it was not the right of the minority to present a report except at the time when the report of the majority was presented. Althou there was nothing in his manner that should cause me to think e intended it more as a matter of jest.an in earnest, I really did, in my sim licity, suppose it was a matter of jest. he and Ibeing in t ic habit of jesting with each other occasion ally; and I went ou‘and finished the minority report. M can understand why it is proper that as a general rule the report of the minority of a committee should be made simultaneously or as nearly simultaneously as possible with that of the majority; thaTTs to say, it would not be right to put it in the hands of a minority to criticise or to answer in detail thenrgument of the majority. But that was not my purpose in any wa, nor have I attempted to do it. As far as recollect, there is no reference made in the minority report to the report of the majority except in 2 particulars. It is not an attempt to answer at all in detail the report of the majority. Now, I submit, Mr. President, that under the circumstances it would be right to allow this aper to be received not right to the minority, or that is a matter of little or no moment it is certainly of little or no moment to me. I do not ask it as a matter of courtesy, for I would not ask the Senate as a matter of courtesy to give me a privilege that was inconsistent with the established usage of the Senate; but upon a subject so important as this, when a report drawn up with the ability which distinguishes the report of the majority is received by the Senate and goes to the country giving the reasons why the measures adopted b the majority should receive the sanction of t ie country, it is but right that the people of the country should have the views of the minority. It is barely possible that the views of the minority may receive the sanction of the people instead of those of the majority. '1' The report of the minority, too, was presented in the HoRep a day or two, I believe, before my friendfrom Indiana presented it in the Senate; it was received without any objection by that body, and was ordered to be printed with the report of the majority. I think they ordered some 50 or 100,000 copies. I have no personal interest in the matter; but I submit that under all the circumstances it is but riQt that the views of the minority should go to the country together with those of the majority, be printed either with or separately from the report of the ma. jority. Even if there was any well established usage to show that such a course would not be proper, I submit that under the circumstances this should be an exception to the general usage, 1st, because the committee of 15 authorized the minority to make areport; 2nd, because the purpose of the minority to make a report was made known to the Senate and received'withont any objection by anybody' 3rd, because the report was being prepare under the belief that it would, when prepared, be received by the Senate without any objection; and 4th and lastly, because I had not the most remote suspicion that my friendfrom Maine was preparing the majority report at all. If he had told me, or had then lit it necessary to tell me he was under no 0 ligation to tell me that he was preparing the report and would have it ready on a certain day, and that if the minority desired to make a minority report it should be ready on the same day, the views of the minority would have been presented then; but until he held the paper in his hand, a moment or 2 before he offered it to the Senate, and told me he was about to offer iIt, had not the most remote suspicion that he had put pen to paper upon the question at all not that be concealed it from me, because that he is incapable of; hutknowing how constantly his time was occupied as chairman of the ComFinance and with the running business of the Senate to which he always gives attention, and fearing that the state of his health would not permit him to prepare a report of this description, I did not. suppose that he was engaged in any such work. Certainly, if I had so supposed, the minority report, with his consent, would have been offered on the do. he presented the majority report. The Senate will dispose of it as they may think is right under all the circumstances.