Mr. MCDOUGALL. Mr. President, it is my opinion that the amendment proposed by the Senator, my colleague, would be awell advised amendment if the bill required it; but I do not think it exactly germane to the bill. It is my judgment that the whole proiosition is what may be denominated as special legislation. 1 do not understand why “the NewYork and Montana Iron Mining and Manufacturing company” should “ be authorized within one year after the up roval of this not” to select tracts of land in the Territory of Montana “which, in the aggregate, shall not exceed 20 sections." such a thing has never been done in this countryto develop any such interest. The persons who discover iron and this is the age of iron are protected sullieiently by the present law. Those who discover gold or silver or cop per, or any other valuable metal are protected sufficiently by the present law. That to acorn pauy incorporate there should be granted 20 sections, is a proposition the meaning of which I can only understand in this way, that it is a matter of speculation. The men of the West, whereI inhabit, have been too much disturbed by speculation. Individual enter plrise has deve oped all the West, from the I ississippi valley to the mountains and to my Own coast. We have not sought the support of organizations arranged in NewYork, which is my own native State and of which I speak with respect. All these things have been achieved by individual enterprise, as they have combined themselves; and companies organized here for speculative purposes have no r1ght to any such franchise or any such grant from this Government. To pass such an act as this would be an evil precedent. It should not be incorporated in our laws. I speak to the main nestion of the bill and to those who have considered what the office and business of legislators is. Those who are ignorant should not undertake to s enk of countries which they never inhabitedJ and about which they know nothing. Those whothink should pause. There are but. few here I know none but my colleague and myself in this Senate Chamber and the Senators from Nevada who know anything about the country concerning which it is now proposed to legislate. I cannot account for the bill except as a matter of personal speculation against the policy of the country and against its true interest.