Mr. HOWARD. It is agreat channel of commerce. Have we not a right to protect it as such? Have we not a right to dredge it out for the purpose of facilitating trade and navigation upon its bosom? I think no gentleman I hope will deny it; and if we have a right to dred c it have we not, upon the same principle, a right to establish embankments upon it for the purpose of keeping the waters within their proper channels? These levees, I understan, were ergpted there mainly for that purpose origi na '. The Senfrom Illinois says the object of this amendment is to protect the lands. The amendment does not so declare. If I have read it correctly, it says not one word about protecting the lands. The whole purpose of the appropriation is to repair the levees which have been erected there for the purposeI have mentioned, and they are just as necessary for the purpose of commerce and navigation as would et e dredging of the same stream, the removal of snags and sawyers from its channel, or doing any other act the object of which was to promote commerce and give it additional facilities upon that great Father of Waters. I vote for this measure, not because I wish particularly to don favor to planters and other proprietors on the banks of that river who have been or still are disloyal. I do not think I shall be accused of any very hot haste in extending favors to that class of persons; but still, even in regard to them, I shall always be disposed to do them justice, exact justice. I think, en passani, that justice has not yet been done to many of them. Her march is very slow, but I trust in God that she will yet over take them. I vote for this as a great national improve ment. It may incidentally inure to the benefit of proprietors upon the banks of the river. If it oes, I should be entirely content with it. But the great object is to afford facilities for commerce and navigation upon that stream, an object in which not only the States mentioned in the amendment are particularly interested, but in which Illinois, hi6, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, all the States of the Union, have an interest as part and parcel of this great nation; and I will not limit or confine my views to the small benefit which it may possibly confer upon the few persons who are immediately interested as planters and owners of farms upon this great river. I vote for it as a national object, as a national undertaking worthy of Congress, and I hope to see the amendment passed.