Mr. POMEROY. I know of no reason why a river should not be bridged any more than wha mountain should not be cut down to malts room for a railroad. The currents of commerce and emigration are as thorough by way of railroads as by way of rivers. It is the river that is the obstruction to the railroad, just as much as the mountain is. When the acific railroad bill was before the Senate it was thought that the Missouririver should he bridged, and I have in in hand the provision of law for bridgin the issouririver, which is by far a more did cult river to bridge than the Mississippi. It is a more rapid stream; it is a longer and larger stream above its junction with the Mississippi. I will read the revision of the law in regard to bridging the Iis souririver contained in the 9th section of the act of July 2, 1864: “That to enable anyone of said corporations to make convenient and necessary connections with other roads, it is hereby authorized to establishand maintain all necessaryferries upon and across the Missouririver and other rivers which its road may DIESin its course; and authority is herebygiven said corporation to construct bridges over said Missouririver and all other rivers for the convenienceof said read: Provided, That any bridge or bridges it may constructover the Missouririver or any other navi gable river on the line of said road shall be constructedwith suitable and properdrum: for the passage of stenmboats, and shal be built. kept, and maintained, at the expenseof said company. in such manner asnot to impairthe usefulnessof said rivers for navigation toany greaterextentthan such struct ares of the most approved character necessarilydo." That is the kind of charter to give arailroad company not tie them up to draws of any spe cific character, but simply require them in the law to put in a draw of such a character that it shall not obstruct the navigation any more than such draws necessarily do. It is admitted that they obstruct navigation to some extent, but it is the public interest that is promoted by it. That is the reason why we allow these drawbridges. The Mississippi river affords no such obstacles to bridging as the Missouridoes and we have already a provision of this kin for bridging the Missouri, and I know not wh we should not be as liberal on the Mississip i. I am for bridging it, at. every point where the public interest requires, wherever a railroad crosses it, and to have bridges of such a character that the coin auies can build them and maintain them. O require the building of bridges of 400 feet span, embarrassing the companies, making them forever unsafe, is neither for the public interest not for the interest of the companies. A bridge of suitablecharacter should never be more than 200 feet s an, and the draw that turns, if it is construete after that pattern, should never be over 300 feet, that is, 150 feet between the points. You cannot turn one over 300 feet long. There is not one in existence that turns over 300 feet, and at we have undertaken to legislate, intwo distinctive bills before Congress, to make the draw itself 300 feet, so that the bridge would have to be 600 feet, if it. turned round.