Skip Skip PETITIONS and MEMORIALS. the PRESIDENT protemporz. The Chair has received and been requested to present the petition of Orville Burke, late captain in the 14thIowa volunteers, together with nu merous others, who subscribe themselves as “old soldiers of the war of 1861, and citizens of Jones county, Iowa, ” requesting Congress to grant to those who enlisted under the $100 bounty act, $200 bounty when honorably discharged, asserting that, in their opinion, justice requires that those who responded 1st to the countrys call are entitled to at least as much bounty as those who enlisted later, when a draft seemed inevitable. If there be no objection, this petition will be received and referred to he ComMilAffrs and the Mi itia. It was so referred. Mr. GRIMES. Ipresent the petition of General John Edwards and sundry other citizens of Arkansas, who represent that the country west of that State is susceptible of sustaininga very dense population, but is now a howling wilderness, and they ask that there may be a Territory established there. I move that it be referred to the ComTerritor. The motion was agreed to. Mr. GRIMES. also present the petition of C. B. Seger, resident of the NewOrleans, Opelousas and ) Great Western Railroad company; of Thomas Rigby, VEEP of the Southern Railroad Compan; and of W. M. Wadley, president of the icksburg, Shreve port, and Texas Railroad Company of Louisiana, praying for an extension of time within which to complete the various railroads of which the gentlemen whose names I have recited are he representatives and officers. I move that it be referred to the ComPubLands. The motion was agreed to. Mr. HARRIS presented the memorial of John Mr. Brown, at Brooklyn, NewYork, praying for remuneration for the seizure of the schooner Robert Bruce by the revenue cutter Forward, on the 12th day of March, 1865; which was referred to the ComClaims. Mr. WILSON presented the petition of J ohu A. McTavish, father of Alexander McTuvish, late captain in the 11thregiment Massachusetts volunteers, who was killed in battle, praying for a pension; which was referred to the ComPensions. Mr. COWAN presented the petition of citizens of Philadelphia, prayin or an appropriation for the construction o a breakwater at Marquette harbor, on Lake Superior, and for the 1m provement of that harbor; which was referre to the ComCommerce. He also presented the petition of Henry S. Davis, praying for compensation for fitting up the west wing of the Patent Office, a mistake having been made, as he alleges, in the settlement of hisaccounts; which was referred to the ComClaims. Mr. TRUMBULL. A few days since Ipre sented, at the request of their secretary, the petition of the American Free Trade League. Since then I have received a petition with the signatures of the o the ers of that league, among whom are William C. Bryant, David Dudley Field, and some of the most eminent men in the country. The petition sets forth in very clear and strong Ian age the objections to a protective tariff, starting out with the proposition that every man is entitled to the fruits of his own labor, and should have the right to exchange those fruits for the labor of any other person without any interference by the Government whatever. The petition recognizes the right of taxation, but insrsts that this taxation should be equal upon all classes of the community. It proceeds to state that the great portion of the aboring people of this country are agriculturists; that they need no protection; that it is impossible by discriminating duties to afford them protection, because the articles produced 1) them in this country are produced more o eally than in any other count. The petition insists that a person who, bv islahor. produces a hale of cotton has a right to exchppge that bale of cotton for 2 tons of iron if he can make that exchange, and that any legislation laying a duty upon the importation of iron which compels him to exchange his halo of cotton for one ton of iron is prejudicial to his interest, and is special legislationin favor of a particular class. o with the man who raises wheat or corn sufficient to buy 2 blankets; any legislation which comels him to pay the same tor one blanket is injurious to him, partial in its character, and ought not to be toler ated. The petition further goes on to show that by the imposition of high duties the revenues of the country are lessened ratherthan increased when a discrimination is made. It proceeds to controvert the positions which are taken in fa vor of a protective tariff, among which is the position t it is to protect the aborers of this country against the superlabor of Europe. The petitioners say t at, so far from this being the case, these very manufacturers who are fa vored by this legisation are constantly introducing this foreign labor into their establishments to compete with the labor of this country. The petition concludes with a iraycrto congress that in its legislation no discrimiuation may be made; that no duties may be laid for the purpose of protection, and suggests that a revenue tariff will afford all the protectionthat will be necessar; and so it won d seem to me at this time. c are now desiring to raise the largest revenue that we can; there are great cal snpon the Government for money; we iave accumulated a vast debt; and it would seem to me that in the adjustment of an tariff the protection incidently afforded by collecting the daties necessary to defray the expenses of the GoVernment would be all the protection that any branch of industry ought at this time to require. I commend this petition to the especial attention of the ComFinance, to which I move its reference.