Mr. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, as regards the question of cotton, I think no man who has studied the history of soils and climates and productions but knows that America can produce cotton for much less than 1/2 of what it can be produced for in any other country in the world). During the war they ran it up until it reached a price of 60 cents perpound, and even then, instead of using foreign cotton, they used our cottonto the extent. which they could get it, and only took the foreign article to supply them with what they could not get from America. I have no hesitation in saying, and gentlemen acquainted with the history of the subject will understand it, that if the cost of cotton in this were 30 cents perpound still country it would al be taken from here, because it could be got better and cheaper in this country. The tax of 5 cents Will not stop the sale of a single pound of it. A tax of ten cents would not ate the sale of a pound of it. eshould have amended the Constitution, and then Congress could have placed a tax of ten cents upon the exported cotton. Even then there wou d be more exported than today. The result would have been, on the 1000s of holes exported we would have reaped millions of dollars of revenue for the Govern ment. We would have obtained, sir, some compensation from those who were the cause of prolonging the war and imposing the present grinding taxation upon our people. We should have made them, sir, pay a portion of it. Why shall we not do it? They ought to be made pay a portion of our heavy taxes. It will not stop the growth of a single pound of cotton. It will enable us to get from those people a large amount of revenue from this article of cotton which they will still continue to export from this country, for they can get it nowhere else, even then, cheaper or better, and it is the only mode I see in which we are likely to get from them any edmpensation for the trouble they have caused us. I know no one who can oppose this Who is not a free trader in theory or practice, and who does not scorn the idea of protecting American manufactures, American industry. I' say opposition to this comes, and can come, from no one here except those who are the advocates of the doctrine of free trade.