Mr. WILSON, of Iowa. I propose now to strike out of the amendment t6words “one cent perpound, ” and insert the words “ 7 ty cents per100 ounds.” The amendment of the chairman o the committee proposes to continue the present rate of duty on railroad iron. I do not expect with the temper that has been manifesto by this committee to succeed in reducing this rate of duty. I know that these iron men are very poor and very much do tossed, and I am glad to know that some of those who are taking special interest in this subject are also coming forward as the champions of the western farmer. I am almost disposed to suggest to the appointing power that the Gentfrom Pennsyl vania, [Mr. KELLEY, who gave us a dissertation on farming this morning, he placed at.the head of the Agricultural Dept, because he gave us some ideas that it will be very difficult to get our farmers in the West to comprehend unless they shall come in some official form from the head of that Dept. Now, sir, the farming interest in the West is interested in this particular item of the bill. We are engaged in the construction of railroads, and it is of the utmost importance to that section of the country that those railroads shall be completed, and that they shall not be retarded by the legislation of this Congress. As I stated on yesterday, I repeat today, that I am in favor of granting to American manufacturers fair and reasonable protection against foreign competition. And, sir, I think we have already granted by the action of the present Congress some relief, for I hold in my and a letter written by a person connected with one of the principal iron establishments in this country, the Cambria Iron Works, in which I find a statement of the amount of reduction in the former tax upon the iron interest of that establishment. find by the statement of this letter, written by Mr. Morell, that the amount of tax which we have taken off of every ton of railroad iron is $8 40. We have taken off of pi iron, according to his statement, $2 40. Here the hammer fell.]