Mr. GRINNELL. Iunderstand thatthe gentleman has but 8 minutes of his time cft, and 1 propose to occupy that time, yet too short tomore t tan glance at the great question. Mr. Speaker, I shall vote for this bill, and divest myself of all local prejudices as a western man. I happen to live on the line of the Central Pacific railroad; it passes by my door; I will say that I do not but I am not to be bound to any locality. I believe this is a great national project, and as a monetary, as a business project, it is safe for this country and for Congress to adopt it. The Gentfrom Ohio [Mr. DELANO] pursued a line of remark which led us to suppose that here was such a magnificent grant of land that any further aid was unnecessary. He seemed to think that the amount would be $100,000,000, and when I asked him whether he did not think that was too high, he expressed doubts about it, and finally concluded that it was so. Now, I wish to call attention to the fact that gentlemen have not met the question. On the one han they have said, “Here is such an immense grant of land that these men need nothing.” On the other they have said, “ You will lose if you become security for this company.” Both statements cannot be true; the witnesses disagree. I have no hesitation in saying that these facts have never yet been met, and they never can be successfully. Here is a great tract of land certainly, but what is it now worth? No moreto this government than so much moonshine or so much clear sky, without a railroad. It is not worth one cent an acre without access to it. There is no man rich enough to own it and pay taxes on it in its present condition; nor will it. for 50 years to come, without a railroad, have value. Whatis the proposition? That thisimmense tract of land between Lake Superior and the Pacific shall be opened so that we shall have access to the gold mines and another highway to the Pacific ocean. This is what we can do: this is what we ought to do. We ought. to lend to timid capital the aid, confidence, and surety of the Government in this enterprise; what the Government has before done, even by direct gifts; what Russia is doing in opening her wastes on a grand scale. The Gentfrom Ohio [Mr. DELANO] talks about the West, and assumes to speak for it as if he were of that country. Why, sir, he should remember that he is not within 1,000 miles of the starting point of this road. He has to travel 2 Iiun red miles across his own State, the same distance across the State of Indiana, then 3 or 400 more across the State of Illinois north west, and then 100s of miles, before he gets to the starting point of this road. He cannot speak for the West, because he does not live tlere as a Representative; and though able, I cannot think he appreciates our distances or wants. Gentlemen have undertaken to say that my colleague, the chairman of the committee, [Mr. Pmer] has not presented a report, only a bill, withholding the light. My coleague has been characterized by the Gentfrom Illinois [Mr. Wasunurms] as a banker. Well, sir, it is true that my colleague has honorably and successfully discharged the duties of president of the State Bank of Iowa, by which no man has lost adollor. But he is not merelya banker. While the Gentfrom Illinois was laying out streets in the city of Chicago my colleague was surveying audplanninga railroad Westward, near the eastern connection of the Pacific railroad, to Council Bluffs. He is a railroad man of ten years experience in the Prairie State, as well as an extensive farmer, having, I am informed, atlarger number of acres than any man west of the Mississippi river under cultivation and yet the 2 gentlemen from Illinois designate him as a banker simply.