Mr. FTHOMAS. Let me for a moment advert to some facts with which members of the House may not be familiar, and I will conclude. The owners of the coal mines of Nova Scotia have to employ land transportation for only about 6 miles, and then they reach navigable waters. The large mine is about 6 miles, and I think some of the other mines are even less. Gentlemen know enough of the geography of our own country to know that the coal mines of the Allegheny mountains in Maryland are nearly 200 miles from tide water, either by way of the canal or the railroad and I suppose the coal mines of the Broad Top region of ennsylvania, where coal similar to that of the Alleg any mountains of Maryland is found in large quantity, are 200 miles from the sea board. Now, it is only necessary for gentlemen to recall to mind tevery heavy excise duties which are imposed upon everything used in the transportation of coal to the market. In the 1st instance, the Government derives a very large amount from taxin the net profits of the railroad companies. then , upon eve item of their machinery they must pay a hi rh tax. They will therefore readily see that the protection which I shall claim under the tariff of 1864, and that is all that we shall ask, is very far short of the mere difference in the cost of transporting coal from the Allegheny mines to the sea board, and transporting coal from the mines of N ova Scotia to navigable waters and when you take into consideration the cost of transportation, enhanced very lar ely by our exciseIaws, it will be seen that at east $1 25 is spent for land transportation upon every ton of coal that is taken from our mines to the sea board more than that which comes from Nova Scotia. In conclusion, I moie to amend this bill by striking out the following from the 1st section of the bill: 0n bitumine us coal, 50 cents perton of 20 8.bushels, 80 pounds to the bushel; on all other coal, 25 centsperton of 28 bushels, 80 poundsto the bushel; oncokeandealm of coal, 10%. adoulorem.