Mr. GRIMES. I am happy to hear the Senfrom WestVirginia say that he has got a limitation upon that; but it strikes me that these amendments had better be all done in committee. There is another question which I wish the committee would investigate if the bill should be recommitted, and that is, whether it is properor not for us to legislate at all on this subject, unless there shall hrst be some understanding reached with the city of Washington in regard to it. According to m recollection I am not fresh in my reading of the history of the transaction in connection with this canal; Ionce examined it, and I should like to be able to refresh my recollection on that subject when Maryland was about to construct the Cumberland canal, the capitalists of Alex and ria proposed to unite wrth the State of Maryland, and have the terminus of the canal at Alexandria. That stimulated the people of Washington to attempt to have atermmus here, and in order to accomplish that purpose they embarked the credit of the city to a large amount ultimately I think it reached the amount of $5,000,000, and issued bonds for it, which were sold to certain Holland capi talists. The interest on those bonds was not paid, or the principaliwas not paid at any rate, when they matured. The Holland capitalists threatened to foreclose on the city and sell it out, and General Jackson, who was then president, sent down a message to Congress, recommendin" that Congress should assume the payment of that debt; and I believe Congress did pay that debt; but the U.S. never acquired any title to the canal. The title, therefore, still rests in the city. Now, is it not advisable, if we are going to create such a corporation as this, right in the cit. a corporation that is to have such apoten tia influence in the city in regard to sanitary measures, that there should be some perfect understanding between the corporation that we propose to create and the city authorities on the subject? I do not understand that the city authorities have been consulted or that they have given their assent. I understand that this bill proceeds on the idea that this canal belongs to the Government of the U.S., and not to the government of the city of Washington.