judged necessary by said engineers, and to provide for military connections between said points or places if such engineers shall adjudge them practicable and necessary for purposes of a general defense; also that Congress provide for floating defenses for the coast of Maine, under the provisions of an act passed February 12, 1862, entitled "An act to authorize a loan of money to the United States for the public defense, to be reimbursed in bonds of the United States."

Resolved, That our Senators and Representatives in Congress be instructed to use their influence to accomplish the objects of the foregoing resolve, and that a copy of these revolves be forwarded to them by the Governor.

In the House of Representatives, March 10, 1862, read and passed.

J. G. BLAINE,

Speaker.

In Senate, March 10, 1862, read and passed.

J. H. GOODENOW,

President.

March 10, 1862, approved.

ISRAEL WASHBURN, JR.

STATE OF MAINE,

OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF STATE,

Augusta, March 11, 1862.

I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the original as deposition in this office.

JOSEPH B. HALL,

Secretary of State.

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS,

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

Boston, March 11, 1862.

Honorable JOHN B. ALLEY,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.:

MY DEAR SIR: Inclosed please find a copy of the resolve of the Massachusetts General Court of February 14 last, appropriating $500,000 for the manufacture of suitable ordnance for the defense of the sea-coast of this State. If it shall be desirable that this State shall make financial advances for the construction as well as the armament of fortifications, such provision would be promptly made to any extent that would be needful. But before work can be commenced, either of construction or of armament, it is essential that the information, the plans, and details, which I mentioned to you yesterday, shall be furnished to the government of this State by the Government of the United States. Before we engage ourselves in any work of construction we wish to know the whole plan of fortification projected by the Engineer Department for the armament of such projected fortifications (as well as for fortifications now completed or in progress), in order to determine what ordnance will be 'suitable." I have been given to understand that all this information which we desire lies somewhere in the War Department in such a shape as to require little more than merely clerical labor in order to forward it to Boston. Until we obtain it, we cannot act intelligently on the subject of our coast defenses, and