Mr. GltlMES. I suppose if there is anybody here who is fieculiarly interested in the navigation of the Mississippi river, Iain about as much interested as anyone else. I have for 30 years lived immediately upon its banks, and I think that I am somewhat famil iar with the condition of the commerce of the country connected with that river. A portion of the epic in the town in which I live. fan eying thin the construction of a bridge will not be to their own particular individual benefit, would not favor the passage of this law, while I think that those who take the broadest, most comprehensive, and most correct view on the subject would favor it. But whatever may be the opinions of my fellow citizens of that town, there cannpt be any question that the commerce and the interests of the State at large, which I have the honor here in part to represent, demand that there should be facilities for crossing the river without breaking the bulk of the freights that are to go over. Then the only question is whether or not bridges can be constructed across the Mississippi river so as to facilitate the crosswise commerce that is going east and west without obstructing or unnecessarily impeding the commerce that has hitherto and which is destined in the future to pass up and down on the river. I am satisfied that the proposition which comes from the Compostofficcs ought to be adopted, for the reason that. I believe if the briges are constructed upon the plan which they propose they cannot, by any possibility, be any obstruction to the navigation of the Mississippi river. As the Senfrom Minnesota has observed. we have 2 bridges now across the Mississippi river connecting the State of Iowa with the State of Illinois. There has been complaint, and constant complaint, about one of those bridges over since it was erected, not because they do not open the draw in ample time whenever a steamboat presents itselt and de mands passage, but because they were unfor tunate in placing the piers at the time of its original construction so that they do not stand parallel with the current. Now, this bill spe cilically requires that in the bridges authorized to be erected under it this necessary point shall be provided for. Then another trouble with RockIsland bridge, where this dillienlty has been is that it is situated right at the foot of the rapids, where the current which comes over the ra ids for ten miles above is much more rapid than at any other point in the Mississippi river from StAnthony to NewOrleans. except at another rapids known as the Des Moines rapids. Those conditions do not exist anywhere else on the river, and no bridge built exactl upon the plan of the RockIsland bridge would presenttherefore the same impediments that the RockIsland brid c.does. But the bill which has come from the omniittec on postoffices and Postlloads requires that the draw through which boats wi I be compelled to pass shall be much larger than the draw at RockIsland. I think ifI remember might the draw at the RockIsland bridge is 112 fect.