Mr. HENDERSON. But he proposes to do it with an iron truss bridge, not a wire bridge; and I understand he states that he prefers building a continuous span of 400 feet to building 2 spans of 200 feet each, and being required of course, as he would be, to build an additional pier in the river, that he can do it with much less cost Of construction than would he required to )ut down the additional pier. I understand that one of the best mechanics in the State of Missouri, unda man who has proved his ability to comply in every respect with his contracts, has consented to enter upon the work. I know it was objected, a few days ago when this question was under consideration, that such 0.bridge could not be built. This bill proposes only a span of 300 feet. That tullacy has been disproved in the building of the bridge at Steubenville, Ohio. It is demonstrated beyond doubt that the most perfect structure can be made with spans of 300 feet, and that it will have snilicient strength to bear the very heaviest burdens. The Senfrom Minnesota [Mr. Ransnv] has proposed a resolution that I think this body ought to adopt before going into this business of bridging with pontoon bridges, as it were, the Mississippi river. He proposes to have a scientific board established to go out and examine the Mississi.pi river, and see at what points it may be safe y bridged, and report the character of the bridges that under the circumstances ought to e constructed. It was strenuously urged the other day when asirnilar proposition was before the Senate that one bank oft ie Mississippi is always low, and that therefore it will be impossible to build these high bridges. It seems to me better to intrust the matter to a board of scientific men, a board of engineers. It could be done without cost to the Government, because we have the engineers here and we are paying them their salaries. They could very well discharge that duty. Let them go out and report to this body at the next session whether this thing is practicable or not. But, strange to say, the Senate of the U.S., without ever having suffered a thing of this sort to be done before in all our history, all at once enters upon a scheme of bridge buildingupon the Mississippi river, laying down, as it were, pontoon bridges of a permanent character over that river at almost every conceivable point. Now, it is seen that so soon as the proposition of the honorable Senfrom Illinois [Mr. Tnonnuu.] has been adopted to build a bridge at Quincy, my constituents of course ask that one be built at Hannibal, within 30 miles of that town. It is then proposed by the Senfrom Iowa [Mr. GRIMES] to build a bridge also at Burlington, and immediately upon the passage of that proposition a movement is made by the honorab O Senfrom Minnesota [Mr. NonTon] for a bridge at Wine na, and of course the Senfrom Wisconsin [Mr. Hows] desires that LaCrosse shall have the some privilege. We shall have propositions for not ess than 100bridges across this river. I will state further that there is no use of haste in this matter. The Mississippi river is now perhaps as high as it usually gets at this season of the year. It is all over the bottom lands everywhere. It is very high at the points where it is now proposed to throw these struct ures. Nothing can be done this summer to ward bridging. No progress can be made in bridging the Mississippi river between now and next December; and why not let the Senfrom Minnesota [Mr. RAMSEY] press his resolution, and have a board to go and examine, and let us act with some prudence, with some caution, with some discretion, when we act upon a question of such great importance as the bridging of that stream? The commerce upon the Mississippi river today is more than a l the foreign commerce of this country. There are not less than from 30 to 40,000 miles of navigable water upon the Mississippi river and its tribu taries not less than 32,000 miles of navigable waters; and we propose, by establishin the precedent in the case of bridging the Mississippi, to allow the bridging of every one of those streams. It is a.question of very great importance and I see no necessity, while the water is now from 5 to 6 feet over the bottom lands of the Mississi ipi river, for the Senate hastening to a conclusion upon this subject. I do not object to the railroads of this country having every facility for crossin the nav igable streams of the country. Indee, I desire that it shall be done. I certainly want communication from the West to the East, and while I am acting as a member of this body or in any other capacity I will do nothing to ob struct commerce in its way from the West. to the East or from the East to the West. It is a thing we want; but is it not going too far to say that the Mississippi river, a great river navigable for 3000 miles by the lafgest c pass of steamers, shall be covered over at every little town with a permanent pontoon bridge? Our eastern friends ought not to ask that, with the idea that it will largely benefit the railroads that point in their direction, and that it will facilitate commerce in that direction instead of toward the southern country.