Mr. HENDERSON. No, it is our western friends. The Senfrom Maine suggests very properly that it is not so much our eastern friends who are urging the passage of these measures as unfortunately the inhabitants of the little towns along the Mississippi river. I do think that our western friends ought to act with a little more prudence and a little more caution in matters of this character. Nothing can be lost between now and next December, and let us adopt the proposition of the Senfrom Minnesota, [Mr. Hansen] and if the engineers report between now and next De cember that it is impossible to build other than drawbridges upon the Mississippi, I shall consent to do it. I do not know that I can add anything more to what I have said. I regret very much that I have to trouble the Senate on this subject. I feel a very great interest in it, but I have no other interest than any other citizen of the great West. I have no interest in any railroad company or steamboat company upon the earth, not a dollars worth of interest in anythin" of the sort; but as a western man I do fee an interest in preventing the pontoon bridging of the Mississippi river. Iknow that drawbridges have been built upon navigable waters; but originally when that was done it was required that the draw should always be open exec t when trains were crossing on the bridge. allude to this in order to show Senators what prog ress we are making on this subject. I saythat originally it was required that the draw should remain open at all times except when trains were crossing the bridge, and then, and then only, was it closed, so as to leave the river O in to navigation. But how is it in this bill? liow was it in the bill which we passed the other day? The draw is required to be closed at all times except when steamboats are passing. We are conferring privileges upon the railroad companies and gradually making inroads upon the navigable waters of this country and c osing them up. It cannot be denied that this is the course now being pursued. Perhaps the railroad companies deserve these privileges; it may be that they offer facilities for trade and travel to further the commercial intercourse of the country that the rivers do not offer; but I beg leave to differ from Senators when they thus insist. Iknow that all heavy freight can be carried upon the Mississippi river for 1/3rd of the money that any railroad company can carry it. I know that a barrel of pork or a barrel of whisky can be carried from StLouis to NewOrleans, and from NewOrleans around to the cit of Boston, for 1/3rd of the money for which it can be carried by any railroad company in this country directly; and it can be carried in that way for 1/3rd of the money, even after you have bridged the Mississippi river. Thatshows most clearly that we ought to be prudent and careful how we close up this great navigable thoroughfare. We are navigating the Missouririver now by a regular line of packets, 30 240 miles above the city of StLouis, up to Fort Benton and even above Fort Benton; and why are these great streams to be closed up by low bridges, the draws of which are required at all times to be closed, except when steamers are passing? If bridges can be built with a continuous s an of 300 feet, so as to uccommodate the railroads, I say it ought to be done. I have before stated to the Senate that a mechanic has asserted at StLouis that he will build bridges with a span of 400 feet, and they now propose to go on and construct a bridge at Stouis with continuous spans of 400 feet and 50 feet above high water mark. That will accommodate the steamboatinterest and the railroad interest, too. Mr. President, if my proposition is adopted it only requires these bridges, if built between now and next December, to be built with continuous spans. I hope the Senate will consider the matter a little more seriously than it considered the reposition pending the other day. It. can do this bridge company no harm, because they can do nothing between now and next December exceptto procure stone for the building of the piers, and that will answer just as well for a continuous span bridge as for a bridge with a pivot and draw. The Mississippi river is so high that no pier can be built between now and next December. The Senfrom Minnesota [Mr. NORTON] will scarcely contradict me on this point. Nothing can be done between now and next fall. The consent of the Wisconsin Legislature has yet to be obtained, as I understand, before this brid e can be built at all, by an amendment a ready adopted, and I wish to inquire of the Senfrom Wisconsin when the Legislature of that State a ain meets.