Mr. NESMIT. Mr. President, Iwill state that there has been no survey made of this route for a wagon road, but it is substantially the route which was surveyed by Governor Stevens in 1853 for a railroad route. The country is well known, and the War Dept has all the information in relation to it. On the eastern side there is navigation to Fort Benton, and a very great commerce is carried on between that and the rivers on the other side of the mountains. There are 408 miles of intervening country through which there is no regular road. this a very rich mining country. The people on the Pacific side are using every means to send supplies there, but they are unaided by the Government; the matter is dependent entirely on private enterprise. There are now steamers on the upper Columbia and on the Peiid Oreille lake, which embraces some 65 miles of this distance of 480. Of course there has been no appropriation made providing for a survey with reference to this particular wagon route, but there was an appropriation made for a survey ofarailroad route, and this route was surveyed for that purpose by Governor Stevens. The reports on file show the feasibility of the construction of such a road. I think the commercial and mining interests of that country are such that the government should do something to facilitate its means of transportation for the miners who are now so rapidly developing it. It cannot all be left to private enterprise. It is pretty hard for men to engagein the production of the precious metals in a country so remote as that, with so many obstacles to overcome, entirely unaided. I know that the objectiOn which the Senfrom Maine makes is the same that he has made to almost every appropriation for the development of the country on that side. No matter whether an appropriation is asked for a mint or a custom muse or a railroad or a wagon road or anything else, the same objection is constantly and continually made. I think the people of. that country who open up its resources are entitled to some consideration. There are now within the boundaries of the country through which this road is proposed to paes 50 to 60,000 people engaged in mining, and I think that the supe rior advantage those people would derive from this road for the transportation of the necessary supplies and the deveIOpment of that country would in one year more than compensate the Government for its outlay. I hope, therefore, the Senate will consent to appropriate so small a sum as is proposed for so great and beneficial an object.