Mr. GRlMES. I understand what the Son ator said: that there has been no representation of the agricultural interest in the “lobby, ” if he refers thatI should use that word. I think e is correct. I think there has been no representation on the part of the body of that population here except by the members of the Senate. They have not been so fortu note as the commercial interest. The commercial interest have been represented. If I nave not been misinformed, the Chamber of Commerce of the city of StLouis, representing that very large emporium of commerce in the State which the Senator has the honor in part to represent on this floor, has been represented by a very distinguished and numerous committee, opposing to the utmost of their power the passage of any bills which would allow the Mississippi river to be bridged except upon some plan which, in the estimation of every practical engineer who is familiar with the topography of the country, is totally impracticable. Mr. President, I think I represent the agricultural interests of my State when I votenot for the benefit of a particular railroad corporation, but for the benefit of the universal commerce of the Northwest that there shall be bridges across the Mississippi river, not constructed in such a way that they can by any possibility obstruct the navigation, but so as to promote the interests of commerce crossing the river. as well as that passing u and down that stream. I live on the bank of the Missis sippi river. There is a railroad approaching the river at that point from Chicago, and another one going out from that point 100 miles into the interior. I live in a wheat country. That is one of the stable productions of that region. However valuable and rich, in a commercial point of view, StLouis may be, yet Chicago, which is today and I think ever will be the great wheat market of the continent, is the point to which we desire to send our wheat. Let me say to the Senator that it is the estimate of everybody in the town where I live and they have had considerable exerience on the subject that there is a loss 7 bushels upon every cars load that is transferred across the Mississippi river according to the present plan, which, at the present price of wheat, in the neighborhood of 2 dollars a bushel, is 14 dollars of a losspn a car load that is sustained by the agricultural interest. It is that interest that demands the construction of a bridge across the Mississippi river in order that such a loss may be obviated. It is the interest not only of the producer of the wheat that such a loss should not be sustained, but ilg is also the interest of the consumer in the ‘ast. But, Mr. President, I rose principally to correct the statement of fact may c by the senator, in which he said that none of the companies authorized by this bill to construct these bridges were prepared to go on. I undertake to say that 2 of them are ready to go on.