Mr. WILLIAMS. I know that it has been represented, with how much truth I am not. to say, that the publishing interests of the country are suffering for the want of protection, and persons interested in that business have been very clamorous for an increase of the tariff. It seems to me that this amendment, notwithstanding it may be in the language of the old law, is exceedingly comprehensive, and it enables persons to import books into this country in large quantities to such an extent as to interfere with the book publishing business greatly, in my judgment, to its detriment. Every society that is organized calling itself a literary, philosophical, or religious society may import any number of books professedly or really for its own use. I suppose that the society is to pretend that these books are for its own use until they are through the customhouse and into their hands, and then they can be used for any other purpose such as the society may think advantageous to their own interests. Under this amendment, it seems to me, all the school books of the country will be imported free of duty. Every school district in some of the large States has a school library. It is in the publication of those books that a large proportion of the capital engaged in this business is employed, and this amendment opens the door to the importation of an immense quan tity of books from foreign countries to compete with the book publishing business in the U.S. I do not know of any particular reason why this exception should be made, why this business, which is a very extensive business in the country, should be subjected to. disadvantages than any other kind of business; why these books should be allowed to be introduced here to compete with the books that are made in this country. These societies are generally furnished with funds made up by contributions of individuals. One man may contribute a dollar and another man may contribute a dollar, and the society is just as able to buy its books as any individual is to buy his books. These colleges and societies can buy their books just as well as individuals can; and why, because a certain number of men associate themselves together and assume some high sounding name, call themselves some society, they should be allowed to import their books, their reading matter, free of duty, while an individual who does not happen to belong to that society must pay upon the book that he reads, is more than I can understand. I know it appears to be entirely proper and desirable to very liberal toward societies which are embraced in this enumeration of the honorable Senator, but it seems to me there is no substantial reason for it; and if the effect of it will be, as I believe, to injure the business of book publishing in the U.S. then it will only tend to increase the price of books to other people who have to purchase and pay without the privilege of this exemption from duty. There is an idea that has force in it, and that is, that under this amendment and through this door which is opened here, a large amount of books can be brought into this country without the payment of duty to be used not for the purposes contemplated in this amendment. It opens a door for importations of that description, and I have no doubt that importations have been made in that way, and will be made. This exception is a very large one, and it seems to me is objectionable.