eby return without my approval House bill No. 3289, entitled
"An act to authorize the New York and New Jersey Bridge Companies
to construct and maintain a bridge across the Hudson River between
New York City and the State of New Jersey."

This bill authorizes the construction of a bridge over the North River
between the States of New York and New Jersey, the terminus of which
in the city of New York shall not be below Sixty-sixth street. It
contemplates the construction of a bridge upon piers placed in the
river. No mention is made of a single span crossing the entire river,
nor is there anything in the bill indicating that it was within the
intention of the Congress that there should be a bridge built without
piers. I am by no means certain that the Secretary of War, who is
invested by the terms of the bill with considerable discretion so far as
the plans for the structure are concerned, would have the right to exact
of the promoters of this enterprise the erection of a bridge spanning
the entire river.

Much objection has been made to the location of any piers in the river
for the reason that they would seriously interfere with the commerce
which seeks the port of New York through that channel. It is certainly
very questionable whether piers should be permitted at all in the North
River at the point designated for the location of this bridge. It seems
absolutely certain that within a few years a great volume of shipping
will extend to that location, which would be seriously embarrassed by
such obstruction.

I appreciate fully the importance of securing some means by which
railroad traffic can cross this river, and no one can fail to realize
the serious inconvenience to travel caused by lack of facilities of
that character. At the same time, it is a plain dictate of wisdom and
expediency that the commerce of the river be not unnecessarily
interfered with by bridges or in any other manner.

Engineers whose judgment upon the matter can not be questioned,
including the engineer of the company proposing to build this bridge,
have expressed the opinion that the entire river can be spanned safely
and effectively by a suspension bridge, or a construction not needing
the use of piers.

The company to which the permission to bridge the river is granted in
the bill under consideration was created by virtue of an act of the
legislature of the State of New York which became a law, by reason of
the failure of the governor to