Mr. FESSENDEN. Mr. President, thotax last year from this kind of machinery, [am told. amounted to 6 or 700,000 dollars. It is a pretty important item. The answer to the objection made is simply this: the amendment striking out this tax was not reported by the ComWays&Means in the HoRep, but was made in the House, where everything that had the most remote conneaion With a farm, especially with a western farm, went with a rush throughout. The ComWays&Means struck down the dut from 6%. to 3%., took 1/2 of it. When that was done there was not 1 remonstrance against the tax, or a etition or a request from anybody to take it o;they were perfectly satisfied with it as it stood; but the motion was made in the House in the interest of the farmers in the West, and it went upon that principle and for that reason. That was all that was said ahoutit. Why should we not take the tax off shovels, and a great many other agricultural implements which, being manufactures, pay taxes, as well as these machines? On some of them the tax is taken off, and they are put upon the free list; but a great many continue to pay the tax from day to day. A shovel is just as much an agricult ural implement as one of these articles. The manufacture of every one of these articles is a monopoly. They are in the hands of patentees who make enormous profits, who have the exclusive control of them, and man age them to satisfy themselves, and can fix their own prices; and the taking off of this tax will not be for the benefit of the farmers, but will be for the benefit of those who sell the machines. They may make the tax a pretense for high prices now; but they will make some other pretense, such as the high wages for workmen and matters of that kind, if the tax is taken off, as an excuse for not lowerin the price. If we take off the tax the money which we now get from it will be simply presented to them. That is the amount ofit. No petition or remonstrance has been received from anybody against this tax. Sir, there is no class of men and they are very large and very numerous that are so much favored throughout this bill, in every particular, as the agricultural interest. Every thing is in their favor. I can understand very well why a noise is made about it. The agricultural interest has so many more votes than any other, that it is always very important to make a stir in favor of the agricultural interest. It is so immy section of the countrynot so much so, perhaps, as in others. perhaps we have not so large a portion of the population engaged in farming. That is all the diligrence.