Mr. ALLEY. I now yield to the Gentfrom Illinois [Mr. Wasniinaxs] for 30 minntes. Mr.wASHBURNE, of Illinois. Mr.Speaker, I wish in the 1st place to thank the House for coming so near to defeating the previous question as to secure to me the agreement that I may speak for half an hour. The members of this House have undoubtedly understood something of the interest I feel on this subject of bridges. And I ask the indulgence of the House while I state in a few words the reasons why I have felt so much interest in this question of damming up by briding that magnificent and majestic highway 0 commerce which has been'dedicated to the free intercourse of the commerce of the country. In the 1st place, without the authority of Congress, a bridge was built at Rock Islan many years ago; and let me tell the House, what is the fact, and what has been proved by the record: that bridge has been a 'damage of $5,000,000 to the commerce of the country. From the time the bridge was built in 1855, down to 1859, there were not less than 64 steamboats lost, Wrecked, or damaged, worth in the aggregate $2,000,000, and the sum of $3,000,000 may have been added as a tax upon the commerce of the country by the additional rates of freight and insurance, owing to the dangers to navigation which that bridge has caused. But because there was a question of jurisdiction arisin, as well as other questions, the people who [have suffered this great injury have been without remedy, although this vast amount of damage has accrued to them. Now I wish to direct the attention of this House briefly and hurriedl to this matter, as it now comes before us, or I feel that I am tied down here to a sort of bed of Procrastes, to 1/2 hour. I desire to call the attention of the members to the enormity of this bill which has been brought in here. Not withstanding the effect of this RockIsland bridge, another bridge was built at Clinton, which is the bridge it is now sou httolegalizeby this bill. Now, I say to you, Mr. Speaker, and I say to this House, that ifI cannot demon strate that this is one of the most impndent and one of the most odtra cons measures that this House was ever calle upon to sanction, L then I will give up the argument. Now, sir, what is this whole matter? I ask the Gentfrom Massachusetts [Mr. ALLEY] to explain it. Here is a bridge built without authority of law, which is a great obstruction to the navigation of the Mississippi river, and which has caused the loss of vast sums of money to the people of the country. And we can have no adequate and speedy remedy for this great wrong on account of questions of juris diction and other questions, although thereare suits now pending against the owners of the bridge. And yet this railroad interest, these monopolies that my friendfrom Missouri [Mr. HOGAN] hasspoken of, come here and demand of us that we shall sanction this outrage, give it legal validity, and enable them as a part of a system to obtain millions and millions of dollars from the ockets of the people, not only from the poorest of the people of the West but the people of the East. And how will my friendfrom Massachusetts [Mr. ALLEY] excuse himself to his constituents for coming here and urging upon us the legalization of this great obstruction to the navigation of the Mississippi river, impeding 00111' merce and adding to the cost of transportation? What is the interest which he can have to dam up this river and add to the expense of living to his constituents? Do not we feed his constituents? Do not the cod fishers at Marble head, the clam diggers at Danvers, and the shoe makers at Lynn, eat our flour and our pork? And does he not well know if you dam up or impede the navigation of this Mississippi river you add to the cost of transportation on these articles and take so much more money out of the pockets of his constituents? If I had the time I could show you by statistics here the additional costof these things to the people of massachusetts and all NewEngland to whom We furnish them. Now, let me tell gentlemen that it is in the interest of the railroad companies that the Mississippi should be dammed u, for they want to make all the commerce of the country tributary to them. If they can get permission to dam up that majestic stream they will put whatever price they please upon the transportation of what you get. I have the statistics here showing that since the Miss' sippi river has become open and free, the pri e of freight on flour from the upper Mississippi to Boston or NewYork has come down from one to 2 dollars a barrel and yet the Gentfrom Massachusetts [Mr. ALLEY] comes here and asks us to legalize the erection of this bridge and thus inflict this additional cost upon his constituents. Why does he want to inflict this injury upon them to benefit railroad monopolies? Mr. Speaker, this is not the question which is involved in the other sections of the bill. No, sir; I said before in this House that I will not oppose but am rather in favor of bridging the river, if it can be done without obstructing the navigation. Now, sir, let us see what the Gentfrom Massachusetts does, and how he stands here before the Housein regard to this matter. Sir, what is required by these amendments which the gentleman has introduced, and which were passed upon by the House? Sir, they require a draw of 160 feet; and the piers are to be set in a tieular way and the draw to bekept open. part iat, sir, is what the gentleman’s committee said was right and proper; and after the committee have made that the rule for all other bridges, the gentleman comes in here and proposes that this bridge shall be made an exception to the general rule. What is his excuse? Ifa draw 120 feet in width is enoughpvhy did the gentleman require a draw 160 feetin theseother cases? Now, ifthe House wants to hear the testimony in rqrard to the obstruction of this bridge, I will read it. Pleading here the cause of fine people, I nsk them, if they must strike, to hear me. The mo nopolies are heard; but I ask you to hear the great voice of the people. I did qot know that you would hear. did not know but that you would be worse than the judge of the old my tibiology, Rhadamanthns, who was regarded as temost inexorable of all the infernal judges. He chastised, but he heard castigat, auditgue. You undertake to chastise, without hearing, my people and the 8 million people in the Northwest, besides the gentleman’s constitquents and the people of the East. I desire, Mr. Speaker, that this House shall, in considering this Clinton bridge, separate this amendment from the bill which is cfore the House. Here the Gentfrom Massachusetts, after having got through a general bill, undertakes in the interest of a corporation to getlthrough aspecial bill to legalize this bridgea thing that has never before been done in this House in regard to a Mississippi river bridge, and whi I supposed never could be done or would b done. And, sir, I wish members could realize the terror of the people in the Northwest in regard to what this congress may do on these subjects. The have felt a keen solicitude with regard to what blow might be struck at their great interests. Sir, the co ie from one end of the river to the other have Iieen deeply aroused in relation to this subject. Every navigating interest of the Ohio, the Illinois, the Missouri, and the Mississippi, every interest of NewEngland, everyinterest of NewYork city and of Philadelphia, the whole commercial interest of the country is concerned in this question. New, sir, the Gentfrom Massachusetts has the coolness to tell this House that this bridge with a draw only 120 feet wide is no obstruction to the navigation, while in the bill before us it is declared, and he declares in reporting it, that a draw of 160 feet is necessary.