Mr. HUMPHREY. I will do that. Mr. Chairman, there has not been a single topo:ition to increase the tariff on any artic c presented to this committee but has been urged on the ground that unless it. was adopted the business would stop. Now, I want to read for the benefit of this House in relation to this subject of salt from the report of the superintendent of the Syracuse salt works, which furnish more than 2/3rds of the salt manufactured in this country. I want the committee to listen to that report and say whether they put it upon the ground that foreign salt has interfered with them as a reason why they want protection or claim they ought to have any protection. This is a report published a year ago, and signed by the superintendent of the salt works, a gentleman whom I saw around this House and the ComWays&Means for 2 months during this session. This is what he says, speaking of the increase in the manufacture of salt: "Still the rnteofine rcase is not commensuratewith the nnticipations of former periods, or With the increaseof population in the country. This is doubt lessto be attributed largely to the COIDEOH'JOXI met with in the marketsof the West. from the salt manufactured in Michigan, where extensive manufactures havesprumrinto existencewithin 3 years. The quantity of Onondagasalt receivedat Chicago last year was obout 332,000 barrels.WhllO that of Michigan was 344,000. Thus Onondaga. salt has beenreplacedby Michigan to the extent of 1,700,000 bushelsin one lake port alone. to which is to be added what the Michigan manufacturershavesupplied toCleveland. Toled'o, and Detroit. large entrepotstd'r salt." t i S O i C C i I “But while anticipation of a large extension of the manufacture have been disappointml, it is well to reflectthat the moneyvalue of the productsof the salt works have been greatly augmented. A businessthat. but a few yearsagowas comprisedwithin the compassof a million and a half of dollars. has grown to one of 4 or 5 millions." That does not look very much as though these cempanies were getting oor. Now, I wish to call the attention of the house to another fact which shpws beyond a peradventure that this pretense that the salt, iliterest is suffering, in orderto saddleu on the people oftbis country 66 cents a arrel is merely for the purpose of putting the money into their own pock ets. In 1860there were only 4,000 har rels of salt made at Saginaw. The amount has increased gradually until 1865, when, instead of the salt works being shut. up, as the gentleman says, the inspector returns 819,000 barrels of salt at.Sagi naw; and that is the only competition which the Syracuse salt works have. Here the hammer fell.] the CHAIRMAN. Debate is exhausted on the pending amendment.