The Secretary of the Army shall cause the manuscript of the annual report of the Chief of Engineers and subordinate engineers, relating to the improvement of rivers and harbors, and the report of the Mississippi River Commission to be placed in the hands of the Director of the Government Publishing Office on or before the 15th day of October in each year, and the Director of the Government Publishing Office shall cause said reports to be printed with an accurate and comprehensive index thereof, on or before the first Monday in December in each year, for the use of Congress.

All reports on examinations and surveys which may be prepared during the recess of Congress shall, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Army, be printed by the Director of the Government Publishing Office as documents of the following session of Congress.