Mr. wASHBURNE, of Illinois. I desire the calm attention of the House for one moment in regard to this subject of bridging the Missis. sippi river. To us in the valley of the Missis sippi this is certainly one of the most important questions before congress. I may say that we are all in favor of bridging the Mississippi river, if it can be done without any material obstruction to its navigation. I am in favor of it, and I believe all the people are in favor of it; and both interests must yield a little. But there have already been 2 bridges built across the Mississippi river, and all of us who live in theoMiesissippi valley know that those 2 bridges have been almost the greatest possible obstruction to the navigation of that river, and have cansed to the people of that valley the loss of millions and millions of dollars of property. The value of the steamers that have been destroyed at RockIsland alone, I think, would amount to $1,000,000. Now, if we in Congress are going forward to legislate upon this subject of bridging the mississippi, a subject of vastimportance, we should legislate with great care and with great delib eration. Now, I desire to say thatI am opposed to sending this bill, with the amendments which have been introduced, to the comPostOffice, for the reason that that committee has already ordered a bill to be reported to this House to legalize the Clinton bridge and make it a post route, taking from the people of the Mississippi valley all their rights and all their remedies in that reard. That committee is already committed in “over of this subject of obstructing the navigation of the Mississippi river by these bridges and hence I say that Ipdo not believe that it is just and fair that this bill should go to a committee already committed in its favor. Now, I move to refer this bill with amendments to the ComCommerce. It may, perhaps, be objected that the ComCommerce has formed its opinion on this subject. If that is so, then I will not insist upon having this bill referred to that committee. But I do insist that a subject of this vast importance should go to some committee where the subject will be considered fairly and justly, with a due regard to the interests of all in ties, and not in the interest of these railroad corpo rations, which have for one object the damming up of that great natural highway, in order that" the may compel freight to go over their lines, an thus rob the people still further. I want this question considered fairly, and by a committee that is not prejudiced on this subject and that has not committed itself to any particular line of policy.