rsons, whose duty it shall be to
inquire into and determine how much the vessels of war and steam
machinery contracted for by the Department in the years 1862 and 1863
cost the contractors over and above the contract price and allowance
for extra work, and report the same to the Senate at its next session;
none but those that have given satisfaction to the Department to be
considered.

This board was appointed by the Secretary of the Navy on the 25th
day of May, 1865, and consisted of a commodore, a chief engineer,
and a paymaster in the Navy. Its powers were broad and liberal, and
comprehended an inquiry touching all things that made up "the cost to
the contractors" of their work in excess of the contract price and
allowances for extra work.

The board convened on the 6th day of June, 1865, and sat continuously
until the 23d day of December following, and made numerous awards to
contractors. The parties mentioned in the bill now under consideration
were notified on the 9th and 15th days of June, 1865, to prepare and
submit testimony to the board in support of their claims, and they
repeatedly signified their intention to do so.

Donald McKay was the contractor for the construction of the monitor
_Nauset_ and the steamer _Ashuelot_. The proceedings of the
board show that on the 11th day of August, 1865, he notified the board
that the only claim he made for loss was on the hull, boiler, and
machinery of the _Ashuelot_, which he would be prepared to present
in about six weeks.

Neither of these parties presented any statement to the board, and no
claim of theirs was passed upon.

On the 2d day of March, 1867, an act was passed directing the Secretary
of the Navy to investigate the claims of all contractors for building
vessels of war and steam machinery for the same under contracts made
after May 1, 1861, and before January 1, 1864. He was by said act
required "to ascertain the additional cost which was necessarily
incurred by each contractor in the completion of his work by reason of
any changes or alterations in the plans and specifications required and
delays in the prosecution of the work occasioned by the Government which
were not provided for in the original contract." It was further provided
that there should be reported to Congress a tabular statement of each
case, which should contain "the name of the contractor, a description of
the work, the contract price, the whole increased cost of the wo