Mr. CONNESS. Mr. President, upon the point made by the honorable Senator, the chairman of the ComFinance, the necessity of looking to the protection of commerce and the recognition of it as a great industry, without which a nation cannot live and be great, I entirely agree with him. What we try to aim at in legislation here on this subject is, that all the great branches of industry shall prosper under our hand. But I rose not to continue that theme; because, although it is interesting and has been ably handled by the Senators who have spoken, it has sunk the amendment before us pretty much out of view. The present proposition is to advance the dut imposed upon machinery coming from. Igo back to the position taken by the leading Senators, and accepted by all; that when we consider the matter of protecting home industry, the wise thing to do, the necessary thing to do, is to ascertain by a collection of facts what classes of industry require the protection, what classes of production can be obtained abroad, where other people are employed than our own, and brought into our country at a cheaper rate than our people can afford to be paid for making them, and apply the duty there, so that our own people may be employed at home. I think it is conceded that the duty proposed upon machinery is not sufficient to afford the necessary protection. When it becomes so that a manufacturer of machinery may send his orders abroad, import the machinery, and sell it to his customers, who do not know that it has been manufactured in England at a profit, it is time to advance the duty upon it, as I think; and my opinion is that the amendment now before the Senate does not propose too great an increase of the duty. I believe that if you accept such a proposition as the one now before the Senate you will empty our workshops where machinery is manufactured of the mechanics of the country. In crossing the Atlantic last August after our adjournment I had the company of a very intelligent American, largely engaged in the manufacture of machinery. I had many conversations with him upon the subject. I found him to be a very able and intelligent gentleman, entirely at home upon the subject. He showed to me clearly that the tax imposed upon the material out of which sewing machines were manufactured was so great that they could not manufacture them in our own country at a profit, and that they were compelled now to transfer their workshops, and would have to do it if the duties were kept up on the raw materials, to England, and have {{. ina chines manufactured there, bring them in at the duty imposed upon them, and sell them to their customers in America. This was, as I have said, from a very able man and one interested in a low duty upon machines, not interested in a high duty, for his position was, “reduce the tax that you now impose upon the raw material or else we will go abroad and manufacture, and must do it and will do it, because we can do it and pay your duty.” Here we have the testimony, as { again repeat, of an able man interested against the very testimony that he gave. Now, I hope the senate will adopt the pending amendment offered by the Senfrom RhdIsland.