Mr. DELANO. That may be in the neigh borhood where the Gentfrom Chicago obtains; but sheepnre not so prolific in other parts of the country. These 36 million sheep are represented by 200,000 voters. The sheep represent the voters, or the voters the sheep or both ways, as you choose. [Laughter] The men who own this property are voters. For the 1st time in their ves it is proposed that this property should be protected by the tariff law. I know that this bill will protect this property and its annual product and also many other important agricultural interests. I say to gentlemen that those 200,000 voters have been watching with intense interest the action of this House during the ast week on this subject. Do you ask me wh1y? Let me present to you a few facts. I want to call the attention of this House to the importations of wool for the last few years. Members are aware that I am not much a man of detail, and do notGenerally elaborate largely upon tables and statistics; but here are a few facts which exhibit an idea, and I want to lay them before the House. In 1859 we imported 231,000 pounds of wool. Now, mark you, in 1860 we imported a million and a half pounds. That was before the war before the embarrassments following the war stared the manufacturers in the face. Now, in 1861, when the war came upon us, when the manufacturers did not know what was about to happen, when the farmers of the West could not sell their wool at all, there was imported into this country only 500 and lift 6,000 (half a million) pounds of woo; 1/3rd of ‘raw material. the amount imported in 1860. Next year, sir, it was given in evidence that the war had brought out a demand for woolen goods. In 1862 you imported 31,300,000 pounds of wool; in 1863 73,900,000 and in 1864, 87,193,000 pounds; and all this time when you were running up from an importation of half a million to 87 million the importation of woolen goods was being diminished. Yes, sir, the importation of goods manufacturpd abroad was being dimin ished. The manufacturer had the monopoly of the markets of America for the sale of his goods, and the markets of the world, so far as we were concerned, in which to buy the What fact is more apparent than that the price of wool has not risen commensurately with that of other articles in any degree whatever during the war? It is a knotvn fact that it has not, and the reason of of it is here: you had a tariff that furnished no protection to the wool grower whatever. Why, sir, to show on how this was accomplished, let me call {he attention of the House to the importations of wool at the port of NewYork1 for the year ending the 31st of December last. You remember, sir, that that tariff puts a duty on wool, valued at the last port of exportation at 12 cents or less. ofthrec cents a pound; when over 12 and not over 24, 6 cents perpound; when over 24 and not over 32, ten, and ten%. advalorem; and when over 32, 12 cents perpound and ten cents ad calm em. Now, sir, this was so framed by theingenuity of the manufacturers thatwoolseom etmg with American wools could be brought in icre at aprice leszsthan 24 cents perpound. The average price is 14 cents perpound. The South American wools, competing with our half, 3/4ths, and 7 8ths Spanish merine wools, are imported under the existing tarilf so as not to pay above 3 to 6 cents perpound duty. This is done by sending them ere unwashed, and by handling them in the dirt, so as to reduce their value at the last port of export to such a sum as to cheat us of revenue, and thus deprive our own wool growers of a market. In point of fiber and excellence these South American wools are as valuable to the manufacturer as the American fine wools. By looking at the imports at NewYork you will see what was the result. We imported there for 6 months, ending December 31, 1865, 5 and a half million pounds of wool that cost 12 cents or less; 8,861,000 pounds of wool costing over 12 and under 24 cents perpound that paid a duty of only 6 cents; and when you go beyond 24 cents perpound, only 50 pounds were imported. A greater legislative wrong was never practiced upon a people than has been practiced upon the wool growers of this land. We have bornc‘ it through the days oftrial, in the days of taxation, in the days of heavy internalrevenues, high taxes upon incomes, and high prices for all our manufactured goods. We have borne it as long as we can, and, God helping us, we will bear it no longer. And this I tell you, gentlemen, is the voice and sentiment of the western people today. ow, sir, it is to put ourselves in a condition where we can prevent these impositions; where we can have a voice in a justing this tariff, when it is to be adjusted, that am here today to appeal to western men as well as eastern men to give us this tarilf. Postpone it now, until next December, and the same interest, the same influence that causes the postponement will cause its defeat. Gentlemen, now is our time, and if you fail to avail yourselves 0 this hour you will stand where the Gentfrom Massachusetts [Mr. Dawns] aces you. NewEng land will say to you, “ lie loved you and your productions, butayou did not want this tariff l yourselves you d not want it, and we were not so blind that we would force it upon you."