Mr. DRIGGS. I move to amend the amendment so as to make the rates 50 cents and 36 cents. Unlike my friendfrom the Buffalo district of the State of NewYork, [Mr. HUMPHREY] I can say that the delegates from my State are unanimous in support ot the tariff as reported by the bill. Now, they do not live in my district, where the salt of our State is produced, any more than the Gentfrom uffalo lives at Syracuse where the salt of NewYork is produced. Mr. Chairman the States of NewYork, Michigan, West firginia, Ohio, and Pennsyl vania are all interested in favor of the duty agreed upon by the ComWays&Means on salt, especially the 3 1st named, in which perha 5 2/3rds of all the salt produced in the U.S. is manufactured. Saginaw, in my district in the State of Michigan, can produce, when relieved from ruine us foreign competition, 5,000 barrels perday, and yet the average production within the last year has not been 1,000, most of the works being closed for the very good reason that foreign salt costing only ten to 12 cents er bushel at Liverpool is brought out in bal ast and landed here at a cost of less than one dollarger barrel, while to produce it here, includingt 0 internalrevenue tax direct and indirect, it costs about 2 dollars perbarrel. Thus it will be seen that the foreign article can be sold for 2 shillings perbarrel less than the domestic and yet make a profit of 70 5%., while the domestic producer to sell at that price would be losing 2 shillings perbarrel, which many of them have been doing to keep their works running, in anticipation that Congress would give them at least a artial protection which the duty recommended by the committee will only afford. Early in the session the members from the States named above met the representatives from the various salt interests of the country in this city, and alter a full discussion of the subject at several meetings, in view of the consideration that salt being a necessity of life should be secured to the consumer at as low a figure as justice to the producer would permit, they agreed to and did, through a committee, present to the ComWays&Means and recommended that the duty be fixed at 36 cents in bulk, 50 cents in bags and barrels, in lieu of which the committee have reported only in favor of 30 cents in bulk and 42 cents in bags and barrels. Now it is proposed by the amendment to reduce it still lower, which if done will be a great injustice and ruine us to the salt prwducers of the country. At Saginaw there is a capital of over 2 millions invested in this interest, and I am confident to reduce it below the amount fixed by the committee would beto close the works now in operation. The present tariff is 18 and 24 cents, and the increase asked for, considering the amount consumed peran num in the U.S., when divided among all the inhabitants, would not amount to over 5 cents perhead. Nor would it in all probability increase' the salt perbarrel over 25 cents. Mr. Chairman, as the Representative of an interest in which my constituents are so largely and directly interested. I had thought it my duty to ask the House to increase the duty to 36 and 50 cents, but believing the Committee ofWays and M eans have intended to act justly under all the circumstances I shall submit to its decision, and appeal to the House to nctjustly also; to vote down the amendment and sustain the committee.