Mr. WASHBURNE, of Illinois. I only interrupted my colleague to thank him for his pertinent observations on a subject in which my constituents have a common interest with his own. It is the oppression of the great producing interests of our constituents by the extortions of the railroads in our State. Our people must have relief in some way from the present state of things, and as one meansof B66. 681 relief I wish to say we must look to the improvement of the rapids of the Mississippi river and Rock river, and that the public interest will demand just and liberal appropriations by Congress for that purpose. But there is a matter in this connection to which I wish to call the attention of my colleague [Mr. Hmmxo] and of the House. It is the obstruction of the navigation of the Mississippi river by building railroad bridges across that river, which fear fully impede and obstruct its navigation, and which make our people more and more subject to the extortions of the railroads. The 2 bridges already built have proved great and serious impediments to the free navigation of the river, and added to the cost of the transportation of what they have had to send to market. If the Mississippi can be closed u or obstructed, our farmers will have to seek their markets over the railroads, with their frightful rates of freigh t, consuming their hard earnings. I allude to this now, to say that this question of obstructing this river by bridges is becoming a very important one, as many bridges are proposed to be built. There is already a bill be ore Congress to legalize and make a post route of one of these bridges recently completed at Clinton, Iowa, which has proved a great obstruction to the free navigatlon of the river, and when the time comes, if the bill ever gets favor ably reported upon, I shall a peal to the House in the interests of the people in the valley of the Mississippi, to protect the great natural channels of communication from obstruction and impediment created by these bridges. I wish to be understood as not being opposed to bridging the river at any point, if it can be done without interfering to any extent with the free navigation of the stream, bllt the bridgesal ready built do interfere, and no more such can be permitted to be built.