Mr. FESSENDEN. If the Senator had not interrupted me, I was about saying that, not withstanding these different statements, I was so strongly impressed with the idea that this interest is suffering at the present time for need of protection that I was willing to go as high as the Senfrom NewJersey suggested, 55%, adding ten%. to the rate in the bill, which I think is about right, and with which I think this interest ought to be, satisfied. That I should be willing to submit to as against the report of the committee; but I should not be willing to go as high as 60%. If they cannot get along with 55%. it is very singular under the circumstances. While I am up I wish to notice a remark made yesterday by the Senfrom RhdIsland, [Mr. SPRAGUE] He gave us something to think of over night; he said he wished to throw out something that we might for our edification digest if we could during the night, and by the time we got here today be ready to say whether it had agreed with us or not. I refer to the statement which he made that this was a commercial tariff. If so, God help commerce, for there is no help from any tariff if this is a commercial. He attempted to prove it by instancing the duties on cotton goods. I am informed by the commissioner that these duties were fixed at a rate perfectly satisfactory to those engaged in the manufac. ture of cottons, who appeared before him, and generally to everybody except in regard to some of the higher grades of cotton where we have increased the tariff. The cotton interest of this country has got so that it can stand of itself pretty much. The manufacturers in massachusetts, I believe, have not troubled congress for an increase of the duties on cottons, except on one or 2 of the higher grades, where a little addition has been allowed them. With regard to linens we went upon a different principle. The Senator instanced linens and cottons. We thought that in the present condition of the country we are not in a state to deny ourselves everything for the sake of protecting everything. It is not a good time to do it. It is a good time to protect our established industries; and we must do that if we can, and afford reasonable protection to other interests which are beginning to be developed, but not such a protection as will raise the price of the articles to the consumer so largely as it would upon those industries which have not yet begun to be sufficiently developed. A. oupon that principle with regard to lnens. With regard to the manufactures of jute, we went upon the principle that as that article was altogether raised abroad it was important to reduce the duties on the raw material as much as possible in order to encourage the manufacture of it in this country. We did not apply, and I do not know how anyone can apply, a regular level to every industry in the country. y friendfrom WestVirginia in his zeal wanted us to protect tuat mountain from which so many beautiful ores are extracted for fear it would be driven out of the country if we did not protect it; and that is the case with a good many raw materials buried in the bowels of the earth that Senators say will be driven out of the country if we do not protect them. We had supposed the best protection we could give to them was by raising up an industry in the country to manufacture the material itself, which would protect it by giving a good ground for its developement; but that does not seem to be satisfactory. I did not ive a great deal of reflection, as my friendfrom RhdIsland has suggested, to what he stated last evening in regard to this being a commercial tariff; and I really would rather wait to hear him make it out, for I think that if any interest suffers under it it must be comInnerce.