Mr. SHERMAN. I desire to have a vote again on the amendment I offered last evening. I have modified it somewhat at the suggestion of several Senators. It is on page 23, section7, at the end of line 17, to insert: And any person or corporation may import and use railroad iron at any time within 2 years upon paying the duties imposed by law, any provision in anyact of Congress to the contrary notwithstanding. This applies solely to the Southern Pacific railroad, and perhaps one or 2 other railroads authorized by the U.S. The number of miles to be built next year, according to the estimates submitted to us, is from 5 to 600 miles on the different branches of this road; some say 700, there being 3 branches of the road now being constructed, and the one on the Pacific stope, making 4 branches. The probable number of miles will be about 500. I estimate at the rate of about 100 tons of iron to the mile, 60 pounds to the yard, and that will make the requirements of these roads 50,000 tons. If this should be imported it will yield us a revenue of over 750,000 dollars. As I stated last night, the mills of this country cannot supply all that is desired. Large quantities are now imported and laid down within 50 miles of the rolling mills. The Present price of railroad iron, delivered on ship board abroad, is between 5 and 6 pounds per ton, or less than 30 dollars. The Present price of American iron is 85 dollars per ton. The restriction on the Union Pacific railroad compels them to take all their iron from the interior of Pennsylvania and the Atlantic slope, and thence around by Cape Horn to California. So with the branch roads; they are required to carry their iron by railroad transportation from the place of manufacture across the continent, now 400 miles west of Omaha, while the English railroad iron can be brought up in steam vessels and be landed at Omaha. The difference in cost to the railroad company will be considerable, while the revenue derived from this iron, if imported, will be about 3 quarters of a million dollars. The rolling mills will not be materially injured, because they are all kept in full blast, and if a dozen more were constructed they would have enough to do to supply the railroads of the U.S. with lfOll. I think these are the only facts that bear upon it. I always thought the restriction a severe one, but just now it is opPressive. If suspended for 2 years by that time we may have rolling mills enough in this country to supply the demand for railroad iron. So far as my State is concerned, we are not at all interested in the matter; the roads are far beyond our reach; but I feel that it is just and right to this road, in which the U.S. have so large an interest, that this restriction should be removed. The amendment to The amendment was agreed to.