Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-02-08
WHOLE NO. 26S.

cminently WOfthy OF tne protection OF the
| Congress of the United States. rI
With these remarks l will yield FIVE
minutes to my colleague on the eenEit.
tee, Mr.. Farquhar. s.49sH w y Z
Mr.. FARornAR. Mr.. Speaker, I ask
the Clerk to read what send 10 the desk.
The Clerk read az follows: rfsi
"SEc G. And be IL further enacted, de-,
That the bridges across the Ohio river at
Wheeling, in the State of Virginia, aud at
Bridgeport, la the State of Ohio, shutting
4-css zans's' isfru-l-iu -rsft ffy'xT, s1e hossby
declared TO ts lawful structures in their
present position aud elevation and shall
be 80 held and taken 10 be, anything in
any law or laws Of the uai,ed States to
the contrary Notwithstanding.
"SEc.7 And be IL further enacted, That
the said bridges are declared to be and
are established post roads for the passage
Of the mails Of the United States, and that
the Wheeling and Belmont Bridge Com.
pany are authorized 70 have and maintain
their said bridges at their present site aud
elevation, and the officers aud crews of all
vessels and boats navigating said river are
required to regulate abe use Of their said
vessels and boats, and Of any pipes or
chimneys belonging thereto, so as not 10
interfere with the elevation and eoustrue-
tion of said bfidges."- United ,Stahs Stat
uies at Large, vol. 10, p. Ill.,
Mr.. FAnuruAn Mr. Spesker, I pre-
sent that 20 tho consideration Of the House
os tie inal result Of the controversy nris-
ing out of the great Wheeling bridge case.
to which / cali the attention Of my distin-
guished friend from Ohio, lMr. Bingham |
l ask the House whether This bridge
company or It's Representatives are not ask :
ing but comparstiyly small privilege
when tue great body OF the people author
lied the .lcgaiEaton read for that bridge
at Wheeling, after that long controversy,
not only legaiziug it us post-road, but
declaring that its height it's length aud its
breadth should all be legalized, while in
this casn. there is reserved to the Congress
of the United States the power 10 remove
this brid re whenever 1t may DO found to
be u material obstruction to the uayiga-
ton OF the riycr?' uesasL - 81
Now, sir, there runs out from the city
OF Chicago to the city Of Rock leland,
just sixty miles south OF the Clinton bridge,
railroad There runs from the city Of
Chicago, just forty miles above this bridge,
at Dubuque. another railroad, near the
end of which resides my distinguished
friend from Illinois,; thus there are three
railroads passing over that magnificent
prairie, coming somewhat in competition
with each other. Yet the gentleman tells us
that he is in favor Of breaking down mo-
nopoies, while at the same time he is urg-
ing that we shall take away FROM the peo.
pie of that pertain of Iowa and that por.
ton Of Illinois one Of these rival lines of
transportation by tearing down this mag.
nificeht bridge aud destroying that great
thoroughfarc. ~
Mr.. WAsitprKNE Of Illinois. What is
my proposilion2
Mr.. FARouilAR The genllcmans
proposition l., that the bridge shall be
Heightened on is spaa aud to do that il
must DO torn down to its foundation.
Mr. WAsuBgREF, of Illinois. Let il
conform to tho requirements applied TO
every other bridge.
Mr. FAnQUnAn Well, this Is a ,in.
gular pfoposilioli; that we shall do away
with competition 10 incrcaso iis prico oi
products. When You create competition
Ia transportation you reduce lis price, aud
thereby increase tho prieo of products.
l.ot me say That this great Chicago and
Norlhweslen Jluilfoad Company may be
a monopoly, l Know nothing about lhai,
but | do know lh IL has, by is energy
aud capital, reached cut il, nrms over
iTese huudred mtCsef that great poth.
western country, opening up facilities by
which The products gathered lrom all parts
OF that country may bo carried 10 The
markets for Witch they arc destined
Tliaifailrond now reaches four hundred
aud ninety eight milcs. from the city of
Chicngo to tho city Of Council Dlui.s, up
on Tho. great Missouri river. he goat
Paclllc railroad hns now reached thee hun
dred inscs further up tho valley Of
tho Platte, and il lpokipg toward the
Rocky mountains, which il will reach dur
ing tho coming year, Yet the disln-
gulsbed gentleman IRON illinois, the rep
resentatyc OF the people Of the West,
comes here and asks this Congress to tear
down this which is 10 carry over II the
great tfaao which not onl $ cones from tbe
vale; between tho Mi'sis,ippi river ahd
tle Rocky mQubtaius,b from the far
Pacific coast--py, FROM that celestial eui.
Iiio which II to contribute countless mil.
lions OF passengers aud tons Of freight
over tais magnificent bridge which the
geptleman proposes 70 tear down because
this corporation is. IN his excited ilnagi
naton, "great monopoly"
Mr.. ALLISON. The gentleman froiD
Massachusetts, has promised to yield 10
mo. rs =
Mr. ALLY. Ny distinguished fiisnJ
from Ohio wants just Que minute, aud j
cannot refuse So modest request.
Mr. StnLNcg. Mr. Speaker, with due
thanks 20 nly friend iro,n Massachusetts
[ Mr. Alley for his couriesy in allowing
lnc Que minute of his1time, will cudcayoI
to eoufne myself within that limit. This
eau the easier DO because have No speech
to make on either side Of this question.
But some gentlemen around mo tnd Il
diihcult to comprehend Why u bill affect.
ing the use or coniinnance VI n bridge
should giya occasion TO 50 much excited
feeling and fierce ilisvusionj und-i think
eau rrl,te n lit,lr iacialtnt which msy.
possibly fnraislr tim rxplanstion 49,. !.
MrsSposkeG | live 10 tho Miami valley,
that loseliost aud uioet fertiles part al I'll
Ohio. We had great ireshet there last
September | va. away from honc NJ the