Mr. FOSTER. Even if it has been so amended, which I had not noticed, it is still only about 1/2 what by law the duty now is. Mr. President, if the policy be to reduce the amount of duty on saltpeter because it can be brought from abroad cheaper, and because under the circumstances it is not deemed a matter of necessity to protect domestic labor so as to produce an article which in time of war it would be all important we should manufacture at home, if that be not deemed important enough to have a duty upon it sufficient to keep the manufacture alive after, it has been established and a large amount is being manufactured, I ask what kind of policy it is to create a manufacture that does not exist, and break down home manufactories, now in successful operation, which import from abroad their raw material? It seems to me there ought to be at least a consistent policy. If we adopt the principle that we will manufacture the raw material at home, stimulate its production by putting such taxes upon the importation as to produce it at home, we ought to carry that principle out, and apply it to nickel. I agree that under those circumstances we should prohibit the foreign article, or put such a duty upon it that will amount to prohibition. All the manufactures of nickel should then be protected so that they can be manufactured without importation from abroad. If gentlemen are prepared for this, I say let it be applied generally and carried out throughout. bill. It is true that in Connecticut we are interested in having cheap nickel. If we cannot have it because the manufacturer of the raw material must be protected and a duty imposed to stop the importation from abroad, I submit to it; but I say, give us the benefit of that principle when we come to saltpeter. We are manufacturing saltpeter largely. The manufacture has been long established, and we are now manufacturing an excellent article; we are able to manufacture all that the country wants. Why then take off the duty from that and import it from abroad? I ask that some principle shall be adopted here. Do not take off the duty in one case and put it on in another in like circumstances. Be consistent; carry the principle through one way or the other. Then, though we lose in one case we shall save in the other. Now we lose in both'; and the principle is certainly contradictory of itself. I hope that the manufacture of nickel may eventually be established in this country. That it will become a matter of importance I have little doubt; but whether, in the infancy of the manufacture, when we have but a single establishment, it is wise to destroy these establishments that use nickel as a raw material and depend on the foreign article seems to me to be a question that admits but one answer. The manufacturer of nickel cannot by any possibility expect to export the commodity after he has manufactured it. If there is such an amount of duty put upon it as to prohibit the foreign article without at the same time putting an additional duty on the manufactures of nickel, the producer of the raw material really will derive no benefit, for he will not be able to sell to the domestic manufactures of those articles of which nickel forms a component E. to wit, German silver ware. If the manufacturing of German silver ware stops in the country there will be no sale by the manufacturer of nickel to those manufacturers, and German silver ware is the principal article into which nickel enters. It is used to some some small extent at the Mint in making some small coins; but the amount used there is very small. If the manufacture of Ger man silver ware is broken up in the country the manufacture of nickel as a raw material will be broken up also. Now, the committee, I suppose, are not prepared to put on an additional duty of ten% or 15%, on the importation of German silver ware. I suppose they would not consent to do it. If they do not do it the manufacture of German silver ware in this country must be checked or stopped, and if they put on the additional duty it is questionable whether there will be as ready a sale of Ger man silver ware; for if that species of ware rises in price so as to approach the cost of sil ver there will be much less sale or no sale for it. The sale depends upon its cheapness; and if the article is made so expensive as an additional amount of duties may make it, it will not be sold to the same extent in the market as it now is. hope, therefore, Mr. President, that there will be no attempt to alter the Present duty on nickel, 15%. I was about to move to reduce it, to strike out 30 cents and let it stand 15%. advalorem; but the motion now to strike out 30 and insert 40 cents, which will be almost 50%. duty specific on nickel, will certainly bear very hard upon, if it does not ruin, the manufacture of German silver ware. It will enable, it is true, the manufacturer of nickel to have a home market; but what will that home market be worth? Nothing; there will be no purchasers. I hope, sir, that this amendment will not be made.