Mr. RICE, of Massachusetts. I move to strike out the last 3 words. Mr. Chairman, it is true, as the gentleman has said, the war being over, expenses here tofore incurred by the Navy may now be dispensed with. I had the honor to state to the louse a few days ago, when speaking upon this bill, that according to my recollection the appropriations were $150,000,000 for last year, and that the estimates of the Deptwere for $23,000,000, and not $123,000,000 as I was made to say; that from that comparatively small appropriation of $23,000,000 the ComAppropriat deducted about 5 or 6 millions, leaving 17 or 18 millions as the amount in this bill. quite agree with gentlemen that this is not the time to commence extensive works. but do not remember it has been advocated at any time to be exedient and advisable that the Government s iould abandon works which have already been commenced and are in a partial state of construction and I desire to call attention to the fact that the items, as far as I have looked at them on page 7 of this bill, are for works that [are still in progress at the navyyard in NewYork. his bill is not in my charge, but I have taken pains to examine these items, and as I said when I was on the floor before, the appropriation asked for for this machine sho is to carry on and complete a building that as already been authorized, and for which an appropriation has been made. The same is true also of the next item, also for the 3rd and 4th; also for the quaywall. Now, it is for the committee to consider at this time whether they will leave these buildings in an unfinished condition and abandon the work altogether in these yards, or whether they will go on and complete the work which has already been authorized, and upon which lar c sums of money have already been expende. These works were commenced I am reminded, during the war. That is entirely true. But now by the recurrence of peace we do not abandon our Navy nor our naval establishments. These works were projected at a time when nearly all the private establishments of the country were in requisition to provide material for the Nav, and tiey were designed to be no larger than should be necessa ailer the return of peace. They are projecte and established upon the basis of a peace establishment, and now if the Congress of the U.S shall say that it is not expedient to have larger facil ities for repairing vessels, when we have ot2 or 3 times the number that we ha then, let. them say so.