Mr. WADE. I move to amend the bill by striking out in the 2nd section the following wor s: The SecyWar. before expending any part of the moneyherein appropriated shall. where the public interestsrequireit. causearc'e'xainiuationand resurveyof the publicworkshereby appropriatedfor; and he is herebyauthorized to changeor modify the iresent plan if in his opinion the public interestwill be materially benefited thereby. That provision throws the whole hill into the hands and at the discretion of the engineer i n charge of these works, and I know by experi euce that it is rather uncertain what he w'ill do. It gives him an arbitrary discretion, Witha great chance of favoritism, that I do not think he ought to have. These surveys have been made hitherto by competent engineers. All the works provided for in the bill that I know anything about are old works that have got somewhat out of repair, but their usefulness everybody knows; the country has known it for years; there have been appropriations made for them. Now, it is proposed before anything is done, that the engineer may cause, where he pleases, a resurvey to be made, and no money is to be expended until he shall make a resurvey and himself arbitrarily point out where the money shall be expended. It is no more nor less than just referring the whole matter to him. If that provision remains, the bill need contain but a single section providing that the engineer shall make such improve ments in rivers and harbors as be thinks will be beneficial to the uhlic interests. I think it is too broad a discretion, cspecially when the utility of these works is well nown, when large sums of money have been expended on them, when they are essential to the safe navigation of our rivers and lakes. I speak more particularly in regard to the lake harbors, which Iknow more about and in which I take more particular interest. I think no harbor upon the western lakes is provided for in this bill the utility of the improvement of which is not. perfectly well known, and it is almost indis pensable for navigation that they should be 'e tin repair. ow, it is proposed to leave it to the engineer to say whether these works shall be carried on or not, to order a resurvey where he sees fit, and not to expend the money on ary of the works unless he shall seelit to do so. I believe that last year we made an appropriation of a sum to be expended under the direction of the engineer where he thought beat. He did expend it where he thought best; there was a universal scramble for his opinion. do not think it ought to be so. It is a fore gone conclusion in regard to most of the places named in this hill where improvements are provided for. There are some of them, to he sure, that are new to me and about which I know nothing and have nothing to say; but the great mass of them are old works which have been prosecuted on according to surveys made in former years. This provision which I have moved to strike out gives the engineer a broad discretion to say that they are not use ful, and that no money shall be expended upon them. I think such a provision is unusual in bills of this nature, and I hope it will not be retained here.