DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL 429

and their functions, delegates to the boards the power to make scientific investi-
gations and economic researches, and provides an appropriation contingent upon
the reports which the boards make. The second point of order is that the
amendment of the Senator from Arkansas is not germane to the amendment of
the committee.
 Upon the question just voted on, I must say that I voted to sustain the ruling
of the Chair. I disagreed with the reasons which the Chair gave. I think the
amendment to which the point of order was made was a limitation upon an
appropriation bill; that it was not general legislation.
 I think the contention that it is general legislation cannot be justified by rea-
 son of anything contained in the provision. The Senator who preceded the Vice
 President in the chair felt that the amendment was general legislation, but was
 justified by other things in the bill My own judgment is that his ruling was
 correct but that the reasoning upon which it was based was incorrect.
 The VIom PBsmIDrT. The present occupant of the chair understands that the
 Senate voted to sustain the ruling of the Chair, which was that the amendment
 in question was legislation, but that it was justifiable on account of the general
 legislative propositions contained in the bill as passed by the House.
 Mr. GraSs. But, Mr. President, that decision related solely to the committee
 amendment, and not to the amendment proposed by the Senator from Arkansas.
 The VIxm PmBIDmNT. The Chair is not referring to the amendment now pro-
 posed to the amendment of the committee. He is merely stating his understand-
 ing of the situation with respect to which the Senate just voted. The point of
 order was made, and the Chair held that, while the amendment in question was
 legislation, it was in order, and the Senate sustained the ruling of the Chair.
 Now the Senator from Colorado makes a point of order that the amendment
 offered by the Senator from Arkansas is general legislation and, in addition
 thereto, that it is not germane to the amendment of the committee.
 Mr. FUawisa. Mr. President, the whole of title II is, in effect and in many
 respects, general legislation. It comes that way from the House to us. It has
 been held by the Senate that we have a right to amend it. The Senate has held
 that the committee amendment is in order. Now the question is whether the
 amendment offered by the Senator from Arkansas is germane. It certainly is
 germane, and it certainly is relevant to the committee amendment That being
 true, the point of order should not be sustained.
 Mr. tBomwSON. Mr. President, I presented my views on the point of order at
 length while another than the Vice President was occupying the chair. I do
 not wish to repeat what was then said, but will point out to the Vice President
 that the language which is sought to be amended is as follows: "No Federal
 project shall be undertaken or prosecuted with funds provided for in this appro-
 priation unless and until an amount sufficient for its completion has been allo-
 cated and irrevocably set aside for its completion," and so forth. That amend-
 ment would have the effect of changing the law, or preventing the allotment of
 funds which may be hereafter appropriated to the two projects that are referred
 to in the pending amendment to the committee amendment. If it were not
 adopted, the President could still, as a matter of law, if he chose to do so, make
 allotments from the funds in this bill.
 What the pending amendment seeks to accomplish is to modify the committee
 amendment so that if the boards to be created under the authority of the amend-
 ment to the amendment shall report favorably on the projects, after making
 certain specific investigations called for by the language of the amendment, the
 President may then have authority to make additional allotments to the Passa-
 maquoddy project and the Florida ship canal project, notwithstanding the gen-
 eral provision Contained in the committee amendment that no project shall be
 initiated unless at the time of its initiation a sufficient amount of money shall
 be provided for its contention. Plainly to me, it is a provision which the Senate
 has a right to amend, and, unless it can amend it, the committee would have the
 right to incorporate provisions of law in appropriation bills without any oppor-
 tunity to the Senate to change the language or to modify the effect of the
 provisions.
 The VICm PmunmTrr. Let the Chair once more state his understanding of the
 parliamentary situation. The present occupant regrets he was not in the chair
 at the time the original point of order was made. The Senate by a vote of 53
 to 19 has determined that the committee amendment to the appropriation bill is
 In order. Therefore any amendment that is germane to the legislation is in
 order. The question of germaneness of the amendment offered by the Senator
 from Arkansas is the question now before the Senate.