200 DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL
to be necessary because we would not take the top off the hills of
Florida below the lock until-and we stated that there could not be-
a great disorder to the water supply of Florida.
 Senator VauDm'noe. Are you not also considering the building of
a bridge in the central section of the canal, across the ditch that is
to be dug there?
 General MAKxwAM. Oh, yes. You will bear in mind, that we pre-
sumed the Florida Canal was authorized and allotted for, that was a
matter in the discretion of our superiors, and we were going to
pursue it in normal fashion.
 Senator VANDZNBEO.. I fully understand that the discretion is not
with you. "Yours is to do and die not to reason why."
 Senator FLTCHx. Well now, let me ask you just one question.
Is it not true that projects classed as rivers and harbors projects and
not authorized by Congress directly but authorized by the President,
under authority delegated to him in the Emergency Relief Appro-
priation Act of 1985, and placed under the direction of the Chief of
 Engineer, as follows: Sardis Reservoir, located in Mississippi;
Conchas Dam, located in New Mexico; Bluestone Reservoir, located
in West Virginia; Passamaquoddy project, located in Maine; and the
Florida Canal, located in Florida-that those were the projects
authorized by the President ?
 General M Xan tX. That is correct, sir.
 Senator FLzCHE. Isn't that true?
 General MA rIAw. That is true.
 Senator FLzwrcw Each of those projects was authorized by the
President and the work initiated under an allotment which
amounted, in many instances, to only a fraction of the cost
 General MABKwAM. That is correct.
 Senator FLrnvm. Each of these is regarded by the Chief of
Engineers as an authorized project; he proposes to carry them in his
budget from year to year until completed, unless it is otherwise
disposed of?
 General MABKHA. That is correct.
 Senator FKiCHEz. What is the use of holding hearings on the
reports, or anything else, if the project has been adopted by the
President and authorized, placed under your charged Is that not
sufficient for you to go ahead
 General MAux&Aw. We will proceed in what we conceive to be an
orderly fashion from the beginning of that authorization and first
allotment to whatever would be the Executive or congressional
conclusion.
 Senator VANDzNBBmo. I agree, Senator Fletcher, that is certainly
sufficient, so far as the General's authority is concerned. What
disturbs me is that Congress has yet got to exercise some authority in
passing a $140,000,000 to $200,000,000 appropriation on this thing.
 Senator FLwrowa. Congress will make the appropriations from
year to year just as it does in other river and harbor projects.
 Senator VANDENDBRG. I suspect it will.
 Senator FLzTCHB. I agree with that, but the project is authorized
and the work is under way, an allotment has been made for it.
 General MaIwAw. That is all correct.
 Senator FLEzCHR It is the same way with all these projects.
The Florida canal does not stand distinct and separate from other