Mr. GUTHRIE. I understand that freeing railroad bridges from taxation is relieving the bridges after they are constructed from taxwtion as a construction; and to strike out bridge castings from this clause is to strike out that portion of the bridge which is made of cast lngs. The tax upon bar iron which is used in the construction of bridges is not interfered with by the bill that is reported; but there is no tax upon pig metal, and if you take of? the tax from bridge castings there will be no tax upon' that part of the structure and this is an effort to get bar iron that is used in the construction likewise relieved. The fair way would be to give a drawback when it is so used and put in bridges, in that careful wayin which we always make provision for drawbacks. When a farmer gets bar iron for the use of his farm, or when any builder gets bar iron for the use of his construction, he has to pay to the manufacturer the tax, which is:1)art of the cost. This is simply a reduction of the tax on a bridge as [L manufacture after it is constructed and put up. It is simply a reduction of bridge castings cast iron used in the construction of bridges. A large portion of some bridges is ofiron castings. When the war broke out our people were engaged in building a great many iron bridges at. the South; they have now resumed it; and there, where for very long distances they have no stone to make the abutment and the piers with. they make them of iron castings. So far as they are made 'of eastin s, the bill now relieves them from all tax. e are using iron very extensively in these structures, because it does not wear out so readily and is not burned so easily, and resist longer the influences of decay; and the result is to have the structures more secure and tnore permanent. I am not against chea ening iron bridges; I think it is very well to 0 so; but we must get a revenue to pay the interest of the public debt and support this Government; and if we knock out everything that pays a tax, or would cheapen articles, or be convenient to some portion of the people, We shalf have no taxes left. I think in prudence and justice we should not run too fast with these exemptions, and I shall therefore vote against this amendment. The amendment was rejected.