Mr. LAWRENCE, of Ohio. With that understanding I will withdraw my motion to strike out this section, and renew it in the House. Ia Ir, Mr. KASSON. I move to amend this section by inserting the words “ and by what means the export tra io of the U.S. may be increased" after the words “and the said Director shall also annually prepare u report. to be laid before Congress. concerning the general course and influence of trade with foreign countries, exhibiting the distribution of the domestic exports of the U.S. among them, and the exchange of commod ities with them, and the cost of production in the respective countries wherever attainable.” As my friendfrom Ohio, [Mr. GARFiELn] in supporting this section seems to have been in an error, it leads meto think that others of the committee may be in error touching the existence of other statistical officers and bureaus. The Gentfrom Ohio, [Mr. Lxwasses] who just spoke against this section, alleged the existence of the Census Bureau as a reason why this provision should not be adopted. And my other friendfrom Ohio [Mr. GARFIELD] seemed to concur in that supposition. Now, sir, the fact is that the Census ureau does not now exist. We have made no appropriations for it for 2 years past, and its duties are now being wound up by the officers and clerks of the GLO in the Dept of the Interior. And thus it is that the statistical bureau connected with the census, or establilshed for that purpose, has ceased to exist. And in regard to other officers still existing, charged with the ag ‘egation and presentation of such statistics, I give to say that the statis tics for the year 1865, which we ought to have had one year ago, are not even yet laid before Congress. Our statistics in regard to.commerce and navigation are so far behind also as to be nearly useless. Other nations of the world, having more appreciation of its advan tages or more enterprise and tact, have long a 0 been in possession of such information. ow, sir, no legislation touching the commerce of the country is of any account unless it rests upon statistics of our own production and commerce and the production and commerce of other countries. And those statistics should be recent, as gentlemen about me remark, in order that we may keep up in the great commercial race with the other nations of. the world. I had occasion some 3 years a o to as certain the extraordinary difference between the habit of other countries in this respect and our own. They have all the tact and shrewdness and diligence that belong to a private merchant or to a private manufacturer in the development of his own interests and the extension of his own circle of trade. Their commercial treaties are strict bargains, like those which merchants make with each other. We are behiudhand entirely in this respect, and our Government loses a very marked advantage in the deveIOpment of the commercial interests of this country. Ifl understand the object of the ComWays&Means it’is to provide a Bureau of Statistics to remedy our delicicncies; and by the terms of this sectionpthey do provide it. And if it is adopted we shall keep up these statistics as rapidly as the bureau can obtain them and submit them to the commercial interests to enlighten and enlarge its operations.