the better and shorter way of disposing of it will be to agree to its admission.

The PRESIDENT. I have no objection. If the judge-advocate and General Buell can agree upon the matter I have no doubt such agreement will be coincided in by the Commission.

The JUDGE-ADVOCATE. I have made the same proposition to General Buell that I have submitted to the court, but General buell does not assent to it. I must say that it occupies unnecessarily, as I consider, a great deal of the time of the Commission of read the evidence in this way, and if the Government is willing to admit it as General Buell submits it, I do not see how this refusal can be persisted in.

The PRESIDENT. The rule of the court can only be suspended by an agreement of parties. When General Buell offers evidence and the Government consents to its admission I cannot see why General Buell should object to it.

The PRESIDENT. General Buell has the advantage in this matter.

General TYLER. I wish to inquire if all the documentary evidence is ready, so that we may go on until it is completed.

General BUELL. It is not all ready, but it will be ready as fast as it can be read to the Commission, unless you should start now and read till the day after to-morrow. I suppose I have enough here to occupy you to-day. I should be glad, as the Commission listen, if each member would make notes of anything of importance as it is read, and I should be glad to have the attention of the Commission called to it. It is the only way in which I can present it, and it will facilitate your study of the matter hereafter.

The PRESIDENT. It has all to be read and studied, as a matter of course; but I do not know but that I, for my part, could use it better by having it before me to carefully read.

General BUELL. I have selected these documents with care, and have taken from the records everything that seemed to me important. I am willing to agree to withhold the reading to the Commission if it will be more agreeable to them. There is not advantage in reading the evidence here unless it will serve the purpose on information to the Commission.

The PRESIDENT. Notwithstanding the hearing of it here, every member of the Commission will feel it his duty to read very carefully each dispatch introduced.

General BUELL. I have no disposition to occupy the time of the Commission, and would submit that unless the reading here serves the purpose of informing them the reading is not necessary, and I am disposed to dispense with it to avoid the useless consumption of time.

The JUDGE-ADVOCATE. I propose to admit as evidence on the part of the defense all the documents General Buell may feel disposed to introduce, and the Commission will have to examine that may be places before them at their leisure.

General BUELL. I understand it to be the desire of the Commission, then, that I prepare the documentary evidence and submit it to you without reading?

The JUDGE-ADVOCATE. There is only one way of introducing this evidence, namely, that when these documents are introduced I identify them and make a record of them.