Mr. PIKE. I do not propose to make any extended remarks on this bill, but as it touches jin its general provisions certain leadin artiant Lpursuits of my people, and as fhave several times upon the reciprocity treaty in previous Congresses. I shall now say a few words for the purpose of endeavoring to obtain, ifI can. some of the benefits which it is supposed the repeal of that treaty would confer upon us. The objects of this bill I approve. I understand there are 3 leading purposes: 1. To obtain protection for those pursuits of this countrv which come in competition with those of the Provinces. 2. To obtain arevenue from articles imported from the Provinces. 8. To get from the Provinces. if possible, certain commercial advantages which we suppose may be obtained by reciprocal legislation. Now, these 3 things can be better got in this way than by treaty. A treaty is found objectionable for this reason, among others: it is not to be interfered with during its life. It is the paramount law. Having adopted the treaty in 1854 for the purpose of interchange of rod ucts with the Frovince s, we were not at liberty to impose any duties to protect the interest of this Governmentso long as that treaty remained in existence, but we were obliged, with all the patience we could command, to wait the slow rolling years which should bring around in their good time a termination of the unfortunate arrangement. Now, the bill before us is objectionable, in one point of view, in the same way that the treaty was objectionable. It does not, in its terms, form a compact, but still, without some expression of opinion to the contrary, there is a sort of implied agreement running along through the provisions of this bill, that so long as the Provinces perform the part which is as signed to them in this bill so long shall the legislation upon which their action is based continue. For one, I wish here and now to notify the Provinces, if my humble voice can be heard so far, that there is, so far as I know, no design whatever of that kind in this bill; and that hereafter this Congress at its next session, or the next Congress, or any subsequent one, will feel itself entirely at liberty to change an one provision of this bill and have a lighter nty or a heavier duty put on any article as maybe for the interest of this government, an that hereafter the interests of this Government alone shall be consulted. I was astonished to hear the expression which fell from the distinguished chairman of the ComWays&Means [Mr. Monullm] that provided “the Provinces did not accept this bill, then we should be at liberty in our legislation to consult our own interests as if now we were in some measure to consult provincial interests as well as our own. I say, for one, that if that is the correct interpretation of this measure, then I am against it. But although that expression fell from his lips.I am persuaded that that is not his construction of this bill. as I am quite sure it is not the intention of the other ricnds of the measure, by any act here, in however remote a degree, by implication or in any other way, upon the important question of the importation of articles from any of these Provinces, to bind or control the action of future Congresses. Now, sir, the treaty which this bill takes the place of, and the negotiations which led to the ormation of that treaty, proposed to regulate the conduct of the Government in relation to the products of the mine, of the farm, of the forest, and of the sea. In relation to the products of the farm I have little to say. I see other gentlemen here who are capable of representing that very great interest. an interest which the statistics during the life of the treaty show to have been the leading interest in the business intercourse between these Provinces and this country. I presume the will take care that hereafter the interests of the farm shall not be jeopardized by the action of the Provinces. I or one am wiling to vote with them in protecting the interests of the western farmer. The can tell better what those interests are than can. As to the mines, I represent no mining interest. Other gentlemen o, and those gentlemen are able to take care of themselves. But I do represent interests which are deeply affected by this bill, interests which are not peculiar to my State, but which are the same in other leading States of the Union: these are the interests of the forest and of the sea. Sir, in the manufacturing statistics of the country, in 1860, the lumbering interest stood in its magnitude as 3rd; its annual product in 1860 was over 100 million dollars and of the whole list, comprising 631 different manufactures, the fish. famous yachting clu s ili this country. are. a vigorous, active race of men, and what, is importantto us. as lightly taxed as any men 1 on this globe. i in interest stood as 22nd in magni tu e. The capital invested was about 18 million dollars, and the annual product over 14 million dollars a very respectable interest, and one which should have the consideration of this House in common with the other interests on which they legislate. Now, sir, these 2 interests suffer alike from proximity to the people of the Irovinces who are not taxed. In many particulars they have a common interest. In each case the men go away from home for the purpose of getting out those products, which are afterward brought to market. They fit out their “crews, ” the one for the forest and the other for the sea. Their pursuits are more hazardous than the ordinary run of human pursuits, for they are not only uncertain as to the kets they supply. but they run great risks miiing the products themselves. The one dephwls, in a great degree, on the snows of Willlel;bq(l the other on the catch which they happen totake. If the snow be too little or too much; ifthe fickle fish avoid the hook, or the storm overwhelms the adventurer with destructive violence, great loss necessarily ensues. But both of thesein tercsts suffer heavy taxation. The lumberman cannot cut down a tree without nying a tax 0n the ax he wields. Nor can he haul a log without using a taxed chain to bind it on his sled, and as he drives and saws his winters stuck his expenditures for taxation increase. Everything he uses down to the brad in the end of his goad stick must go through the hands of the assessor. There is no escaping. He marches through taxation as through a cloud that constantly envelopes him and so with the fisherman. The moment he begins to obtain his “outfit” he is taxed. He buys taxes with his hooks and lines, and he covers himself with a taxed “ ile auto” and “sou wester." He is taxed for the food he takes with him, and he is taxed on his clothing; and above all, the vessel in which he soils is the most heavily taxed thing in this countr. yWh, sir. these interests realize the cele brate description, by Sidney Smith, of English taxation, which ran through the whole lite of man from the cradle to the grave, from the taxed top of the school boy to the taxed hearse on which the old man was borne to his last resting place and in 2 important particulars the Prov inces have an advantage over us in both these pursuits. They are nearer the fishing grounds. They may in the intervals of fishing attend to other pursuits, while our people are obliged to make a distant voyage and be content with such result as they may be able to obtain from it alone. They have free forests. NewBruns wick sells her lumber by the s uare mile, and the operator can, for a nomina sum. annually take as much as he pleases. Canada scarcely averages 50 cents per 1,000 for stumpage. In these important particulars, the Provmces have advantages that are of great importance. Sir, under these circumstances, shall we allow these pursuits to be unprotected? You make all these assessments, tariff and other tax, for the benefit of the whole country. Go over the list of manufactures, and you will find a protective tariff of 30 and 40 and 50% and the men engaged in these important pursuits have to supply themselves With articles from this heavily taxed list. Now, sir, these people engaged in these pursuits come in competition with a people every way similar to our own; hardy, prudent, skill ful. Perhaps as skillful mariners as ever sailed a ship can be found in those Provinces. They are celebrated as boatmen, and have hereto fore taken the yacht )HZES away from the most They The British Provinces today are the least taxed of any country where there is a system of taxation. I have examined into this matter, and I find that taking our town, county, and State taxes, and adding them the taxes of the General Government, we pay i very greatly more than they; enough more to 1 make it a considerable element of cost in anything we produce. Now, sir, I am not going to make a long speech upon this subject. But in considering and arranging a tariff, I propose to bring up i the duties on fish and lumber so that they will approximate somewhat to the general average of the duties imposed on duliable articles. The average of duties is about 40%. taking the whole list of importations into the country. The committee in this case repose a.very low taxation upon the article of dried codfish, selling now in the market of NewYork for ten or 11 dollars. They propose atax of about 50 cents upon the quintal, or 5%. Upon the article of mackerel, which for the last 6 years has averaged 12 dollars a barrel, they propose a tax of one dollar a bar rel, which is about 8%. of its value and some of the other articles. 1 pronge that, so as to bring the duty up 20 or 25%. of the e and I wish to say a few words upon the question of fishing bounties. to which the Gentfrom Vermont [Mr. MORRILL] referred, and upon which the Gentfrom Illinois [Mr. ASHBEBNE] is in the habit of holding forth so interestingly. The fishing bounty has been in existence ever since the year 1790. The 1st act was framed in 1790, and gave a small bounty upon fish, stating expressly in the act as the reason for it that it was in lieu of duties imposed upon the importation of salt. That was the only reason ever existing for giving these fishing bonnties. That act has been changed from timeto time, and during the war of 1812 and 1814 it was repealed temporarily. Afterward it was reestablished and has come to be a settled thing. Since I have been in Congress I have constantly said that I was willing the fishing;rboun ties should take the course of other articles. I have said that my constituents did not wish to come here as mendicants; they did not ask favors of Congress in regard to this matter of fishing bounties. But the Congress of 1854. while adopting a protective system in other respects, shut out the fishing interests of this country. They allowed these provincial people to come in here and compete in our markets untaxed, while our fishermen were taxed in respect to everything they consumed. I have said that when this reciprocity treaty was repealed, and this fishing business was placed on a par with every other pursuit, we will notask for these fishing bounties. For that reason I do not object to having this fishing bounty taken away; for it Was not a bounty, but simply an exchange for the duties which the government collected from the fishermen on the salt they consumed. This bill contains a provision which is supposed to be for the benefit of the fisherman a provision for giving him a drawback upon sat. I am very glad that that provision has been presented; but it is not for the benefit of the fisherman. It is for the benefit of the merchant who supplies him. The fisherman, under our present law, can take out his outfit at home, sail into the Provinces, buy his salt at Halifax, cure his fish, and bring them into NewYork. Of course he pays no duties on the salt; but there is an inconvenience about the transaction. It is much more convenient for him, when obtainiu his outfit, to at his salt with his other articles and have them all packed together. It is much more convenient that the merchant who furnishes the outfit should have the profiton the salt; that our ships should brin the salt from Liverpool which is the salt the shermen use, and should deposit it here in the storehouses of our merchants. This is much better for the trade of our country than that the salt should be brought to Halifax and our fishermen obliged to buy it there, leaving our merchants without their profit and our ships without the freight. For the general benefit of trade and commerce this provision is very good, and I it will be retained; but as a protection tohtopee fisherman. how idlo itisto talk of it. The whole of this duty on salt is 18 cents to the 100 weight and it taki s 100 weight for n quintal of lish. so that the drawback would be only oigrlncen cents on the uinlul of fish. Now, sir, l have here letters from highly respecmble gentlemen in my district in relation to this matter of fishing. One gentleman writes: “One dollarinvestrd in Novnfirotinwilldonsmneh toward fitting out vesselsand hiring men as 2 dollars will hereand unless we have ordiniuyprotcction. we will have to give up the busincissto Nova Scotia men or carry it on there. It is illllmisible for usto carry it on in Maine. competing with people of the Provinces, under this scaleof duties."