Mr. NYE. Then I understand the Senator to say that the award may be less than be proposes to give. ll 1:. GRIMES. The award is less than 12%. in severalinstances. In those instances, under my substitute, if adopted, the parties will only get the amount of the award, which may be two% or 5 per, cent.; but in the other cases where the award exceeds 12%., those contractors will get the 12 ier cent., Mr. YE. I thank the Senator for his explanation; it simply shows that, after all, he uts great confidence in this award as being rigiit, and I assume that there is no other basis that can be right as between these contractors and the Government but that resting ii on the award of this tribunal constituted by the government itself. It is therefore that I object to the uinendinent, but if that mode of relief is to prevail and I know the power of the distin uished chairman of the comNaval ffairs, and feel out embarrassment in attempting to go against anything that he desires if that must be guarded as he says the amendment is, "that no person shall receive more than the amount of the award in any case and shall be paid by a percentawe, I insist upon it that my amendment should prevail, to insert “fiftcen” instead of “ 12 ”%. If the representations of these contractors are to be relied upon, their sufferings in a pecuniary and financial point ofview have been very great. They have subjected themselves to large payments of interest, have had many anxious hours and days in regard to it, involving their friends property in the issue. It seems to me that upon every principle of justice this Government ought to a the contractors the actual cost of the worlihfbne by them. This is not an isolated case, or one peculiar to our own Government. 1 have taken occasion, since this question came up, to examine a little into the proceedings of the English government at the time of the Crimean war. They needed vessels of a different kind from those which had been usually employed, and the rule they adopted where contracts were made in a hurry, not. knowin what the additional cost would be resulting from the necessity of s eedy construction, was to pay the contractor e cost. Can this Government or its representatives afford to see the grand crash that will be made in individual fortunes, rather than step up and say that the contractors shall receive what the labor and materials actually cost them? A man would hardly be tolerated to live as a good citizen in a neighborhood who would get a contract which was oppressive and ruine us on his neighbor and so use it as to crush him; and surely this nation can afford to be as magnanimous as individual is to individual. But we are told by the Senfrom Iowa that this is only the beginning of the end, that there are other claims. I have not taken occasion to investigate that fact; I have not thought it material. f this claim rests upon the principles of equity and justice, and there are other claims resting upon the same foundation, this nation, in view of its own diity, in view of its own sense of justice, oughi.lto meet them. Our Navy is not a thing of a da. It has done more to defend our national ionor and our national integrity and has given a more noble exhibition of our national enius and enter prise than any other arm of the service used during the war; and it has made old England sing in subdued accents that she is mistress of less “compassions opens. 19, 82 the sea. From the day that the little Monitor Went down to Hampton Roads and sank the rebel craft, or so shattered her that she had to take herself back to her moorings, the character of the American Navy has attracted the admiration of the world. I believe sincerely that these contractors have tried to do the best they could, not for their own advantage, but for their countrys glory and to estabhsh the fact that the character of the American Navy that was being built had more in it than any other navy that had ever been built. how, sir, we haye this Navy, and I submit to the Senate, I submit to the coun, whether it is not worth all that it has cost. care not, sir, what its cost may be; we have a Navy now that admenishes the world that we are prepared for offensive and defensive warfare with a naval force such as no other country can boast. Much of the credit of this achievement is due to the noble patriotism and magna nimity of the contractors who built these ships, and they will stand as a monument to the genius of American skill and enterprise when those who are talking about them to doy will have been forgotten. Sir I insist upon it that the report of the board is the fairer, truer, and less liable to mistake than the proposition submitted by the Senfrom Iowa in his amendment; but if that basis must be surrendered, if that proposition, mathematically certain, must begiven up, I insist upon it that the amendment of the Senfrom Iowa should be amended by inserting 15 %. instead.of 12%. These contractors have given the cost of every nail and spike and bolt. The cost of every item in the construction of the vessels, from the laying of the keel to their completion, is here before us. I am unwilling t“hat this Government should say to them, Notwithstanding it cost you so much, we will give you a portion only of what the work cost you.” If you adopt the principle that the Government is liable and should be held responsible to any extent, the whole ground is yielded. If the contractors are entitled to anything, they are entitled to what the work cost 1ther reject the entire principle and say you will not pay at all or give them the actual cost of the work. fappeul to the magnanimity of the Senate, the representative of the Great nation whose Navy this is, not to sent hese men beggarly away, and let not the only return they get for their patriotism and query be an expression ofingratitude from the representatives of the people of this country.