Mr. HUBBARD, of West. Virginia. Mr. Chairman, WestVirginia having been referred to in connection with this coal question, I desire to say a word or two. Tie concurrent legislation of Virginia and WestVirginia was not had with reference to the sale oft ie James River and Kanawha canal to the French firm named; that was wholly a “'rginia scheme, but to the completion of the Covington and Ohio railroad, negotiations for which have been opened with a company of New, York capitalists, and I trust they may soon be consummated, so that both States may have the advantage of this line of improvement, thus opening up a market for, the coal and iron and other minerals which both States possess in great abundance. But WestVirginia has a more direct interest in this question. Slielias vast fields of the best quaity of bitumine us coal, accessible by a railroad already completed and fully prepared to transport it in any quantity. This coal must find a market on the sea board, where it comes in competition with the coal from the British Provinces, the coal which this bill proposes to admit at a duty of 50 cents per ton. Now, we do not desire to prohibit Pictou coal from being admitted into the NewEngland States, but. we do desire that it shall be made to pay its proportionate share of revenue into the Preasury of the U.S. It, has been shown by the Gentfrom Pennsylvania [Mr. KELLEY] that this cool has not increased in price any since the termination of the reciprocity treaty, though it was then admitted duty free, and now pays a duty of $1 25 per ton; showing clearly that this duty is paid by the producer and not by the consumer, and that this article will bear the present rate of duty, $1 25, withoutincreasing the price to the consumer. How was it during the war? At the beginning of the war this coal was sold in Boston at from live to 6 dollars perton; before its close the price went n to 16 and 17 dollars perton. Vhy was this? Simply because our men were withdrawn from industrial pursuits to defend the flag of our country; the price of labor was more than doubled; our railroads and transportation service were over burdened with conveyance of military stores and troops, and the cost of producing and transporting coal was greatly increased. The price went up in the NewEngland market just in proportion as the difficulties increase in the way of home production and home competition, showing plainly that it is the compe tition of our own mines, from Maryland and Pennsylvania and WestVirginia, that keeps down the price of coal in NewEngland, and not the fact that Canada coal is admitted at a low duty or free of duty. Therefore it is a plain proposition that this reduced rate of duty will inure wholly to the l i at l